Enjoy and may the Valar be with you from eternity to eternity!

        Images from the movie filled her mind; colours colliding with action and beautiful faces glowing with life. Aine loved The Lord of the Rings. It was something that she’d read when she was in middle school – she could still remember going down to the library and searching for fantasy novels. At the time, she was also into role-playing games with the traditional hand-rolled dice and character sheets. She loved Elves – she chose to be one for her current status in the upcoming game. Would it come to any surprise that upon reaching for J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy that she would be forever lost in Middle-earth?
        Stories of warfare and valour; tales of courage and cowardice; a sweeping saga of the small conquering the large and the noble becoming the humble. She followed the Fellowship past the snowy expanses of Caradhras and through the eerie, yet majestic mines of Moria. Shock had enveloped her brain when she discovered that Gandalf – a wizard – had died, fallen into darkness with the creature known as the Balrog. She loved the Elves – found a favorite character once she’d read The Two Towers as well. Was surprised that Legolas the Elf could fight and survive using nothing more than a single long knife during an all-out assault upon Helm’s Deep. She’d thought swords were the best weapons; now, she’s not so sure.
        Having seen the movie, her favorite Elven character is imprinted upon her mind. Graceful, elegant, and beautiful in that mystical way; however, he was deadly as well and she loved his battle scenes – it was exactly as she’d imagined when reading the books. Legolas had been made strong on film – something she was glad had happened. A prince and a warrior should never be reduced to a weakling and effeminate; she knew this well. Picking up her copy of the book, Aine flipped to the chapter she was reading and promptly placed the Legolas bookmark beside her.
        She was so tired, but she wanted to finish whatever she could.
        ‘Riders of Rohan’…what a long chapter. The plains of Rohan sounded beautiful, with the grasses rolling in the sweet breeze and the sky pierced by the sun’s light. But Aine loved forests and nature; she loved waterfalls and trees, animals and butterflies. What would Mirkwood be like? Legolas lived there – perhaps he knew?
        Aine rested her eyes and soon fell asleep.

        It was very quiet after the wars over the One Ring had settled down, and Legolas, now filled with sea-longing – as all Teleri do – decided to reside in his father’s kingdom for a while. It had been a long time since he had lived amongst these trees, and the Elf knew that before his parting, he had to tell them farewell. It broke his heart, for his name was synonymous with Mirkwood – Greenleaf – and the call of Sea was not giving him any comfort. Perhaps his father, Thranduil knew what he was doing when he named him ‘Legolas.’ By naming him as such, he wished to dispel all possibilities that his child would sail west, into the far reaches of Valinor.
        But that was not to be.
        Sighing, Legolas ran a slender hand over a smooth birch tree. Pale flesh met with silver bark, and the Elf smiled sadly. “I came to say farewell to you,” he said in a voice so gentle and soft, so tranquil and melancholy, that the tree immediately responded. Leaves loosened and fell, like a shower of crimson tears over the young prince’s still figure. “I do not wish to leave, but my heart calls me in another direction.” Leaves fell silently around Legolas and the Elf raised his arms, as if beseeching the tree. “Do not mourn, for there are many in my father’s kingdom that will take care of you when I am gone.”
        “But there will never be another one like you again,” the tree seemed to whisper back at him.
        Pain tore through Legolas’ heart and he laid his hands upon the birch’s trunk, like the way a lover would comfort his beloved. “Stay strong. I will not forget you.” Ever holding back the maddening call of the Sea, which never left him, the Elf strode away, his heart riven by both that he desired to have.
        A sudden stir amongst the brush from behind alerted the Elf’s attention and snapped him out of his thoughts. Legolas unsheathed his knife and turned around, calmly and quietly. “Who walks there?” The Elf asked aloud, his weapon raised. “If you are not a foe of the Elves, speak your name!”
        “Aine!”
        This was not a name he had heard before, although it sounded close enough to Elvish. Still wary, the Elven prince stepped closer. Before he could truly approach the brush, a maiden tumbled out from the leaves. As she stood, Legolas studied her. Hair as dark as night, with eyes equally as fathomless and deep. Her hair reached to her chin, shrouding a pale face that bore a startled expression. Her arms were nearly white in the sunlight, while the garb she wore fell to her feet. Clad in crimson, with the sleeves draping over her arms, she resembled some that lived in Elrond’s house, Imladris.
        And yet, she was not Elven.
        “Who are you?” he asked again, lowering his knife. “And what are you doing here?”
        The maiden raised her eyes. “I’m Aine. I was asleep just a minute ago. Where am I and who are you?” Her eyes suddenly widened, as if she’d seen some deity in front of her.
        “You are in Northern Mirkwood, my father’s kingdom to answer your first question, and I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. My father is the king of this forest and this is his realm.”
        “Mirkwood. Legolas – is that your name? And what are you?”
        The prince smiled, bemused even as he sheathed his knife. “I am Legolas, and I am an Elf.”

        Aine stood still in surprise. Legolas Greenleaf the Elven prince of Mirkwood? Her head swam in shock and confusion, and she suddenly laughed. So this was the Elf that she so respected and loved from the trilogy! While he continued studying her, as if trying to figure out who she was, Aine gazed at him. He looked nothing like Orlando Bloom or even her own imagination! He stood tall and straight, with a posture carried so elegantly that she envied him. His hair flowed down to his shoulders, a pale gold that shimmered softly in the sunlight. As for his face, she could see why even he’d surpassed her imagination – soft yet hard angles, perfectly set into a beautiful structure that she couldn’t describe. Delicate but strong – a visage befitting a prince. Looking at his eyes, she found herself startled. Were they cerulean or were they chartreuse? Or were they grey? It was like seeing the ocean, the forests, and the mists of morning all at once!
        It was like gazing upon an angel.
        “You clearly are not an Elf,” Legolas continued to speak, breaking her thoughts. “And yet, you are no foe of ours. Are you mortal, one of Man?”
        Archaic English, Aine thought. Something she loved to read and write. Perhaps now it came in handy, although her mind still thought in modern-day language. “I’m human, yes. You surprised me, being an Elf.”
        “As much as a mortal appearing in Mirkwood past my guard.”
        “Not my choice, I’m afraid. I just woke up and found myself in front of you.”
        Legolas smiled. “Many Men do not walk through Mirkwood unseen by the eyes of Elves, unless it is Isildur’s heir. Though he was a Ranger, he still slipped past my very eyes. It turned out that he and I passed each other, while he was on the ground and I was in the trees. Aragorn was not an ordinary mortal.”
        “Aragorn?”
        “My friend and companion. You seem harmless enough – I do not doubt your innocence. Aragorn is the son of Arathorn, now king of Gondor, which is far from us. He lives with his queen and lady, Arwen, the daughter of lord Elrond. It brought joyous tidings to us all, reaching from Minas Tirith towards the remote expanses of the Shire. I could tell you more, but you seem to be dreary of such talk.”
        “Only because I found myself in this place. I never thought Mirkwood actually existed.”
        The Elf looked at her with astonishment in his bright eyes. “Never existed? Maybe to you, but I have lived here since I could remember the trees!”

        This was a strange maiden that he had encountered. Not only did she nearly escape his senses, but she also claimed that Mirkwood was non-existent. This struck Legolas as queer, and the prince looked at her, baffled. Where did she come from then, if Middle-earth was not her world? Surely she could not have fallen out of the sky! She would have needed wings to fly! Stepping closer to her, he laid a hand on her shoulder. Aine looked at him, her eyes dark within her face. Strange eyes, like none that the Elf had ever seen during his life.
        “Where did you come from, Aine?”
        “I came from my world. We call it ‘Earth.’ Although I live in the United States.”
        This just baffled Legolas even more. “Sounds like it does not belong on Middle-earth. If you do not live here, then how did you happen to come here?”
        “I told you already!” The maiden said, her voice sharp. “I fell asleep and when I woke up, I found myself here! And then you were there, holding out your knife!”
        The Elf glanced down towards his belt, where the mentioned weapon hung. He looked then again at the dark-eyed maiden and sighed. “For all my troubles, now I have in my hands a defiant maiden. Alas, when I need silence to think, a stranger wanders in and I have to protect her!”
        “I didn’t ask you to protect me, Legolas!”
        “Yes, but being alone in Mirkwood even after the fall of Dol Guldur is not safe. That is why I am not idle; Mordor may have fallen, but Sauron’s Orcs still roam. I will not allow you to forsake your safety, even if I have to guard you.”
        Aine sighed and lowered her head. “Very well, Legolas.”

        Here was her most favorite character in the flesh, and Aine knew acting like an idiot wasn’t the best thing to do. But she couldn’t just blurt out that she knew him and everything about the way he was, and that Gimli the Dwarf was his best friend – she’ll scare the poor Elf out of his wits. Acting dumb about Aragorn, Dol Guldur, and Mirkwood made her feel more than a little stupid. She felt like she was lying to Legolas.
        And now he was imposing his protection upon her.
        She had agreed to it.
        “What were you doing before I dropped in like that?” Aine asked, for she was more than curious. Wasn’t Legolas supposed to be bringing Elves down to some gardens? To aid Faramir in rebuilding the glory of Gondor? “You weren’t exactly friendly when I first met you.”
        “I was consoling some trees,” the young prince said softly. “Come, Aine. Let us walk together, and I will let you see the beauty that is Mirkwood.” Legolas strode in front of her, confident in his stride and pace. Aine ran after him, trying to keep up with his speed.
        “The forests are you, right?”
        “I lived in Mirkwood for ages. I have seen the leaves falling off Mirkwood’s trees for more than five hundred years, although I told Aragorn and Gimli less. These trees are like my family and my home, and I shall soon leave them.”
        “But why?” Aine asked, even though she knew very well why. The Elf prince had heard the calling of the Sea; his heart now belonged to those swelling waves and the land beyond. She was suddenly very glad that she had read the trilogy, as well as her progress so far in The Silmarillon. She understood Valinor and the decision made by the Elves, both Teleri and Noldor.
        And then, she felt sad.
        “Because I no longer belong here. Something else calls to me. The Sea calls to me from the west and I cannot stay here long.”

        Why was he telling this maiden his troubles? Legolas could not reason out his thoughts. He did feel lonely, though, once Gimli left for the Glittering Caves. Staying in his father’s realm did mean walking amongst the trees, speaking to them, and consoling them; however, the prince felt empty. With his companion and friend gone, he had no one else to talk to.
        Legolas did not like being lonely – it was worse after one found true friendship.
        Maybe this maiden was sent from the Valar? A person he could finally talk to; someone to share his feelings with – feelings that he held back from his father’s court and from all others. Legolas felt very strongly about his emotions, and being noble meant more than knowing his position in Mirkwood. Being royalty meant being cautious about what one let loose from his lips.
        Fair words were never meant for foul ears to hear.
        Aine was not foul, though. Although she was mortal, one of Man, and young at that, she did not appear threatening. She was just impatient with the vigor of youth – something Legolas knew well, since he was considered young in Elven years. Impatient and curious, with a mind for questions and the ears for listening.
        “The Sea calls for you? But you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
        “It is not my choice. It is something that runs in my blood – something that is passed down from my ancestors. My father said that we have the blood of the Teleri in us. The Teleri were Elves who once lived in Valinor, and loved the Sea. They lingered and lived near it, singing with voices fair upon the breeze. For now my blood awakens and my youth is spent on thoughts about running towards the waves. I will not go as of yet, but I cannot escape this. This is my fate and my destiny, as were it the destiny of all Elves.”
        Aine glanced towards him, her eyes quick in her face. “Is that why you were consoling the trees?”
        “Yes. For the trees know me as their child, and I know them as my family. When I leave, all shall be still and quiet in the forest and they will mourn. Elves do love nature and all that is in it, but once the Elves set sail, where do the trees go to for reassurance?”
        “Can you show me your favorite trees, Legolas? Mirkwood is beautiful.”
        “Mirkwood is fair, Aine. And it will remain fair even when I leave.”

        Aine couldn’t help but feel sad as she looked at Legolas’ face. The Elf seemed wistful, almost melancholy, and she felt his mood. His eyes were now a dark grey, as if sunken into gloom. She wanted to see more brightness and joy – sadness didn’t make Legolas any less attractive but it cast his face into shadows. Aine never wished to see her favorite Elf despondent. So she immediately threw out that question about seeing Legolas’ favorite trees. Instantly, the prince’s eyes shone with light and as his soft voice spoke, Aine felt happy.
        “Mirkwood is fair, Legolas.”
        “So it is. Here is one of my friends, this old oak. He has long been here, even before my birth. The sap in him runs slow, and he is soon going to fade and fall like mortal men. For many years I have known him and even now he wills me not to leave.”
        Aine ran her hand over the peeling brown bark, scattering chips of wood to the forest floor. As she gazed skywards, the huge growth of the tree delighted her. Orange leaves shuddered in the wind and a few fell towards her. Sunlight shone in her eyes, and she reached up for one of the leaves, laughing. She loved nature, especially forests and walking through a sunlit wood. When she stayed at her aunt’s house with her family one time, she took a walk through the small forest in their backyard. The forest was green and sunlight made the place alive.
        She loved it.
        “You laugh, and it warms my heart. I did not know that the forests were of your delight.”
        “They are, and I also love nature. I call myself a nature freak sometimes, but I doubt you know what I’m talking about.”
        Legolas’ face looked puzzled. “Indeed. But I know you love it like the way Elves desire water and woods.”
        “I wish to live in one, if possible. But then you’re so alone from everyone else – I would be afraid of bears and strangers as well.”

        She speaks of being alone. Legolas pondered Aine’s words in his heart, wondering again if it was not divine intervention that he chanced upon her arrival. For he was alone and miserable, and no one knew about it, with the exception of Gimli who knew all. The Dwarf had realized many things about Elves by being an Elf-friend; for that, Legolas was grateful. Not even Aragorn knew him as well.
        The young maiden he had found now stood beneath one of his friends and laughed. Her cries of joy reached his heart and the Elf watched as she seized a leaf with her slender fingers. Instead of crushing it like mere mortals often did, she held it before her. There was something child-like about her wonder, similar to that of young Elves. Legolas smiled as she examined the many veins and the colour through sunlight, marveling at nature and her creations.
        She was no Elf, and yet, she was like one.
        “Aine, do you wish to see other trees?”
        “Is this one your favorite?”
        “I have known him like the way one knows a dear friend. He is very close to me.”
        Dark eyes, full of awe and light, flickered towards him. “All of these beautiful trees! Look – there’s a deer!”
        “All of these untouched splendors rival my father’s jewels. I would not barter them for any amount of riches, even if I were to sit on the throne. I am glad that you take delight in them, for to be able to share my joy is enough. I do not ask for anymore, other than that you will listen to my words ere you go.”
        “Huh? How can you tell that?” Aine asked, surprised.
        Legolas nodded, and then looked towards the sky. “You were sent in my time of sorrow. You have fulfilled your task, Aine, and soon you shall depart. When our roads meet, sometimes they must part.”

        Aine stared at Legolas. She had to go soon? But why? She loved it here! The forests, the animals, the warm sunlight on her skin! The way that the wind blew her silk nightgown softly across her body! How Legolas spoke to her, kind and understanding – not to mention his beauty when glad and when depressed! The Elf, who had at first annoyed her, was now her friend! Once just a book character – now she knew him!
        Did she have to leave?
        Legolas must’ve seen the look on her face because he soon approached her. “Do not despair, young Aine! For you have brought me out of my melancholy for a while, and for that, I am grateful to you. Albeit a bit sorrowful at our parting, which will come in its own time, I will speak with you while you are still here.”
        “What do you want to say, Legolas?”
        “I have long been alone and I will tell you that friendship is desirable, even onto death if needed. You know what friendship is, for you hold the gift to bring companions close to your side. I myself struggle for the will to love and to be loved. My friends from our Fellowship have now been scattered, and I stood here, wondering about my own life. Which paths do I now follow, since I am by myself? And which roads are right and which are false?”
        She had never felt so empathic before; was this her other gift? Aine could feel Legolas’ pain through his questions. She could feel his uncertainties, his fears of failures, and his seeking of another to quell his many questions. But she could not answer his questions. She herself was only a mortal, not an Elf. If the other Elves couldn’t help him, how could she being only one of Man? Questions upon questions and no answers for any of them. Sometimes life was like this.
        All one could do was to take it all in stride.
        She took hold of one slender hand, looking up at his face. There was astonishment there, for she had touched him. “You have told me much and taught me more than I would ever learn in my lifetime, Legolas. About sadness and joy, about trees and old age. You have spoken openly about your fears and likes. Not many can do that even when sad, Legolas. Your loneliness here won’t be the end of your life – perhaps there is more to your life than you could possibly know.”
        “I still have Gimli, and he is a strong friend.”
        “Words unspoken between friends are often the best ones. Only you two know what they mean, and no one else does. Leave them unspoken, Legolas.”

        Aine did understand his feelings, then. Legolas gazed at her, reading for the truth in her eyes. She was not speaking out of pity or ill knowledge; rather, what she said was true. He had helped her appreciate more the surroundings around her, enabling her to better love nature and what it bestowed upon her. In turn, she spoke words of comfort and strength, drawing from her own experiences in life.
        What they were, he knew not, but it mattered little.
        She had done her part.
        “I’m about to leave, right?” Aine asked, somewhat sad.
        Legolas did not answer. Instead, weariness sapped his strength and the Elven prince sat against the old oak. He had not slept for many days and this sudden warmth comforted him. Sleep had been long in coming to him but now it relented, rushing him like a flood of darkness and sensation.
        Before he drifted off towards dreams and pleasant tidings, he saw Aine raising her arms in surrender to whatever being had brought her here. She stood there, her dress fluttering in the wind and her eyes closed in acceptance. In a moment, it was as if she had never been there.
        Her words and her touch remained, though.
        Legolas slept.

        She had fallen asleep while reading The Two Towers? Aine suddenly awoke, only to find herself lying on top of her bed. Her book lay open before her, beckoning her to read its contents. The glint of the One Ring ornament on her bookmark gleamed in the lamplight and Aine looked upon Legolas’ stern face. Legolas? She had met the Elf in Mirkwood but for a few minutes ago. Was she back home?
        It couldn’t have been just a dream! It felt too real! But she often dreamt and Aine looked around for any sign that she wasn’t just hallucinating about her favorite character! She did meet him! She even spoke to him!
        Then, her sight fell onto something she held in her hand. Something that flared like fire in the lamplight, like a piece of stained glass. Could it be? Aine uncurled her fingers and let the object fall towards her blankets. It fell silently but gracefully and finally landed.
        It was the leaf from the oak tree.