And So the Adventure Begins

Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Tolkien and his heirs, of which, to my lasing regret, I am not one.





King Thranduil sat in his study and looked across the large, finely crafted oak desk at his youngest son. He tried not to let show on the outside what he was feeling on the inside. The elven king had known that this day would eventually come. He had dreaded it, yet gradually he had come to accept it. It did no good to dwell negatively on what would be. However, that didn’t make it any easier on his heart.

“You do not look surprised,” Legolas said, noting his father’s unruffled expression, though he could see the sadness in the gray eyes that regarded him.

“No, Legolas, I am not surprised. I have suspected there would be a time when you would wish to explore the world outside of our borders. You were always too curious about what was out there for me not to believe it would one day claim your heart.”

The young prince shook his head. “A small claim only, father. Until I sail to Valinor, my true heart will remain here. But for now, I do wish to see for myself the places and the peoples I have read and been told about.” The young elf gave his elder a wry smile. “Was it not you, father, who wanted me to study and learn about the whole of Arda? And is going to other places and meeting other peoples not the best way to learn?”

The irony was not lost on the king. The truth forced him to agree. “Aye, it is by far the best way.”

Legolas smiled more broadly now. “I am simply putting into practice what you have taught me.”

“Perhaps I taught you too well,” Thranduil replied ruefully. “As much as I would wish to keep you here with us and keep the rest of Middle-earth from touching us, what is beyond our forest will not allow that. Middle-earth is changing whether we would wish it to or not. You must go where your heart takes you, Legolas, as long as it brings you home again.”

“Do not worry, father. It always will.”

Thranduil stood up then, also bringing the younger elf to his feet out of respect for both his father and his king.

When Thranduil came around the desk and embraced his son, Legolas returned the hug, holding on a little tighter than he normally did. Even though he had no children, he understood how his father felt.

When the pair finally parted, the king held his son out at arms length, not willing to let go entirely. “When do you plan to leave?”

Legolas hesitated to give the answer he knew his father did not want to hear. “Tomorrow morning.”

“So soon?” The words came out before Thranduil could stop them.

“I have only a few belongings to pack, and that will not take long.” He smiled. “Look at it this way; the sooner I leave, the sooner I will return.”

The king sighed. “That is so,” he had to admit. “At least I will have you for the rest of this day and the morning meal, as well, if you can delay your journey that long.”

“Of course, father. I would like nothing better.”



The young prince bid his family a heartfelt farewell and in return received their many well-wishes. He had to blink several times, as he turned his horse away, so his family wouldn’t see the mist that had formed in his eyes. This was something that he had wanted for a long time, so he hadn’t expected that leaving would be quite so hard.

Waving one last time, Legolas rode away from the elves he had grown up with and the palace he had grown up in.

Legolas expected to be gone a year, at the very least, though putting a time limit on what he was about to do was a vain endeavor. Besides, a year in the life of an immortal was not even worth thinking about.

Once his journey was finished, Legolas expected to return and spend the rest of his time in Arda here in his forest home. Then he would sail to Valinor and spend eternity with those he had just finished saying goodbye to.

The expectations of earthly beings, however, don’t always work out the way they are planned, and that certainly includes elves.

Even though the road ahead was filled with uncertainties, Legolas’s heart was light and filled with the joy and excitement of an impending adventure.

The blond prince felt sure that when he returned, he would be wiser and more experienced, which could only be a benefit to his people.



During the journey through the forest, the elven warrior paid particular attention to the trees that surrounded him. He knew them well, and thus he couldn’t help but sense the sadness his departure was causing them. He attempted to impart to them his feelings and asked that they be happy for him. They did their best.

Not being in a hurry, Legolas let his big, red stallion choose his own path and his own pace. Thus it took several days for Legolas to traverse the width of northern Mirkwood.

Legolas had not seen any of the warrior patrols that covered the woodland realm on this side of the Old Forest Road, but he had certainly felt their presence.

His father may have been willing to let Legolas go on this adventure, but he wasn’t going to let his son travel alone through the Shadow-touched forest. It was beyond the realm’s borders that the king’s concerns would truly begin.

No matter how knowledgeable or prepared the young prince might be, there was too much out in the world that could go wrong for Thranduil to be completely comfortable. In the end, he had no choice but to trust in Legolas’s training, his abilities. and his intelligence. He also prayed that the Valar would watch over his son and bring him back safely.

It wasn’t until Legolas left the trees and reached the banks of the Anduin that the young archer felt a kind of freedom he had never experienced before. It was even more thrilling than the first time he had left the palace to take his place on patrol among the realm’s warriors. That had also been the first time he felt that he was truly a prince, who could do more for his people than just the tasks he was involved in at his father’s court.

He had also traveled outside of Mirkwood on missions with his father and his brothers before, but never alone. Even on patrol, he was surrounded by other, more seasoned warriors. He was truly on his own now, and it felt liberating.

Freedom made him more anxious to meet people of other races and other cultures. He had no way of knowing that he would get his chance far sooner than he could ever have anticipated.



Legolas stopped and made camp near the edge of the forest not far from the Anduin. He was just about to eat his evening meal, when he heard a horse moving through the forest in his direction.

The animal stopped just out of sight, and someone began to move forward on foot. It was immediately apparent that whoever approached was no elf. Still the person was trying to be stealthy, possibly indicating that an ambush was forthcoming.

By the time the newcomer, a human, reached the small camp, it was deserted. The man scanned the area with a practiced eye, noting the blanket rolled up near the fire and the abandoned plate of food sitting on the ground by a fallen log.

Not even raising his voice, he said to the seemingly empty air, “I mean you no harm.” He held his hands out to the side, palms up, showing that he held no weapon.

“What do you want here?” came a disembodied voice.

The man smiled. He felt sure the voice belonged to an elf and that the elf was above him, though he couldn’t be sure in which tree the fair being was located. “I’m a traveler. I saw the fire and thought perhaps we could share it for the night.” His arms remained outstretched.

“Why should I share anything with a strange human?”

The man laughed. “I may be a stranger, but I assure you I’m not strange.” Barely above a whisper, he added, “Although my family would probably disagree.”

With his keen elven ears, Legolas heard the soft words and couldn’t help but smile. This man must have older brothers, he mused. He himself was often teased and called unflattering names by his older brothers. It went with being the youngest.

“Will you come down so we can talk face to face?” The man started to ask the question in Sindarin to put the elf at ease but decided to wait and reveal the fact he knew the elven language fluently for a later time. If indeed there was a later time. He certainly wasn’t expecting he and the elf would do more than share a camp this one night, and even that wasn‘t a given, at this point.

It took a few moments before Legolas made the decision to give this man a chance to prove or disprove his trustworthiness. He had come on this journey to meet new people, so why not start here and now?

The man was beginning to think the elf wasn’t going to respond and that perhaps it would be best if he just moved on. “I should leave,” he finally said and turned to go back the way he had come, when the elf dropped down right in front of him. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was, barely able to avoid taking a step backward.

The two stood a few feet apart and looked each other up and down. There was a touch of suspicion, especially on the elf’s part, but mostly it was curiosity.

Finally the man said, “By your clothing, I’d say you’re from Mirkwood.”

The elf inclined his head but did not verbally answer. Noting the man’s appearance, Legolas said, “You travel a great deal, do you not?” He was too polite to say the man was more than a little road-worn.

Laughing, the human looked down at his dirty clothing. He knew what he must look like to the obviously fastidious elf. By way of an explanation for his appearance, he shrugged and said, “I’m a ranger.” When no comment was forthcoming from the golden-haired being, he added, “They call me Strider.”

TBC