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sotwk · 4 months

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Mae govannen! I am so intrigued by all your ideas and works surrounding Thranduil’s early life. I want to start reading them! I’ve looked over your Masterlist and I’m a bit overwhelmed. Is there a chronological order to them? Does it matter what order I read them in? Are you still writing the series? I’m asking because I enjoy reading fic on AO3 more than I do tumblr and would like to read the series in the best order over there.

I hope all those questions make sense. Thank you so much.

Mae govannen! What a wonderful message to receive! :)

I am so happy you're interested in reading my Thranduil works! Alas, I will admit that my Masterlist has become a bit of an unkempt garden (which is just a taste of the overgrown jungle that is my writer brain, but let's not go there), so I can't blame you or anyone for feeling overwhelmed! I'm SO appreciative that you have come to me asking for a method to the madness!

A few things to note about my writings:

I write fics and HCs exclusively for Tolkien. (So I'm kinda focused in that way, at least. lol.)

100% of my Headcanons and about (currently) 85% of my Fanfics are faithful to an established SotWK AU and Timeline. All concepts or events mentioned in the "faithful" works remain consistent and carry throughout other SotWK fics. I love connecting everything I write!

All Tolkien Canons and all Tolkien Original Characters I create have a fixed existence in the SotWK AU and Timeline. I try to avoid writing multiple versions of canon characters.

Reader Insert x Canon fics are the only stories that can deviate from the SotWK AU and Timeline.

You are not the first one to have asked for advice on navigating my headcanon/fic jungle, but thanks to your Ask, I finally "pruned" and reorganized my Headcanon Masterlist, breaking it down into subcategories that exist in separate pages!

In regards to my fanfic list, for every fic I write, I include the specific year (sometimes even date) that the story takes place, because (almost) every story and event exists in the same AU and timeline.

I haven't written a ton of actual fics yet; I have several ongoing series and a TON of "fic concepts". But for people interested in my concept of Thranduil's family life and kingly rule during the "Golden Age" of Eryn Galen, I recommend starting with the following (all links are Ao3, per your preference):

The Crown - About Thranduil's coronation. Gives some history and detail about his early marriage and relationship with his wife, Maereth. One-shot.

Greenleaf’s Day Out - A fluffy child-Legolas fic where each chapter highlights his relationship with his four older brothers and his parents. Multi-chapter, completed.

Yuletide in the Elvenking's Realm A collection of stand-alone fluffy ficlets describing Yuletide memories and traditions in the Woodland Realm through the eyes of Thranduil and his family. Multi-chapter, in progress.

The next big series I'm hoping to tackle for Thranduil is the "Sins of Our Fathers" series, which I started off rather messily, but I'm trying to pick back up. It's supposed to tell the very important story of Thranduil and Maereth's first meeting and the early stage of their relationship (going from rocky first impressions to friendship). I don't promote this work a lot since I feel like I haven't done it justice yet. I'm trying to fix that!

Thank you again for your ask and you interest! I hope this helps you get started with reading some of my work. :) I would love to hear what you think!

#sotwk answers #i have the best mutuals #self rec #thranduil #the hobbit #tolkien #legolas #thranduil fanfic #legolas fanfic #sotwk fanfiction #thranduil headcanon #legolas headcanon

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wordsvoyage · 6 months

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I. The Beginning Of Everything

Mirkwood, 2491

You arrived in Mirkwood after a few days of travel, and because of the long journey, you were exhausted. Before you and your guards, sent to protect you, could get any rest, you had to meet with the king himself. You haven't seen Thranduil in ages. The last time you were in Mirkwood, you were a young elleth sent there to train and learn from the king and his guards. Thranduil was a great warrior, and your mother, Galadriel, knew you were going to learn a lot from him, and you did. The thing was that everyone thought of him somewhat poorly. Many considered him obsessed with gems (and it was true), arrogant and even evil at times. Now, these were all true in a way, but you've never felt threatened or scared by him. Either because of your status or something else, but he has always treated you well. You had, however, seen his dark side, but hey, everyone has a dark side.

In fact, you had some great times in Mirkwood. When you were younger you spent there quite a lot of time and you met and befriended his son - Prince Legolas Greenleaf. You spent a lot of time with him in the guard of the Woodland Realm while you were training, and you became pretty close friends. You even started liking him even though you tried to deny it as much as possible. But the truth was that you fell for him, and you fell hard. After all, how can you not? He was handsome, charming, funny, smart, and he definitely had a knack for adventures which got both of you in quite a lot of trouble with the guards and his father.

You were so drowned in your thoughts that you didn't even realize that you were almost in front of the huge doors of the castle. You snapped out of your mind just when you saw Legolas and another brown-haired elf from the guard coming towards you. You smiled and greeted both of them. Legolas also greeted you and continued in elvish.

- Mae govannen! Welcome back to Mirkwood, my lady Arise. My father awaits you. - Thank you, Legolas.

Legolas was polite as always. Well, after all, you were the oldest living daughter of none other than Galadriel herself. Every elf in Middle Earth knew what that meant. One day, you were going to take Galadriel's place once she left these shores and went to the west. You and Legolas were now walking next to each other and were surrounded by guards. Even though you were dressed in a beautiful dark red gown, you still had your sword and a bow and arrows strapped to you. You may be a princess, but you were also a warrior. Plus, your father Celeborn had made a rule to never go out anywhere without a weapon.

You got to the door, and the two guards were already holding them open. You all entered the castle and the guards closed them after you. Inside, as you walked through the halls and corridors together with Legolas, everyone was bowing to you. As you were already in the castle, you didn't need your royal guards being around you, so you dismissed them, and they went to their quarters to rest. So now you were all alone with Legolas, both you and him tall, blond, and noble elves. You had forgotten what it was being around him, and now you were feeling like a young and foolish elleth who was just a word away from blushing. However, you remembered you were a princess and composed yourself. You had to behave in a certain way, always, and you knew that very well.

- I hope your travel from Lothlorien was not too tiring, my lady. - It was not too bad. And please call me Arise. We did encounter a group of orcs just outside of Mirkwood. But it was nothing too bad. We managed to get them all and kill them. - I am pleased to hear that, Arise. Glad you reached Mirkwood safely. Hopefully, you're not too tired to see my father. - I can manage, thank you, Legolas. And I would actually be happy to meet him, it's been ages.

As you were walking the halls, you were looking around you. The castle was beautiful with everything carved in the wood of the trees. You reached the throne hall and saw the king himself sitting on his incredible wooden throne with such remarkable details and ornaments. As you walked in, he got up and started going down the stairs to welcome you. You bowed to the king as the etiquette implied.

- Mae govannen, Arise! - Thank you, my lord. I'm glad to be here. - I know you may be tired from your long travel, and I do not want to burden you with anything just yet. I just wanted to welcome you. But now, it is time for you to get some rest and we will have a meeting in due time. Legolas, take Arise to her chambers. - Yes, Ada. - Thank you, my lord - you bowed to the king and left with the prince.

You walked in silence until you reached a big wooden door with gorgeous and intricate carvings in gold. In front, there were two guards and as you walked toward them, they greeted you both. Legolas turned to you. - Here we are, my lady. Hope you get a good rest - he said in elvish with a soft smile. He took your hand and kissed her gently while looking at you with his beautiful, piercing blue eyes. While still holding your hand, he removed a strand of your blonde hair and put it behind your ear. His finger gently touching your face afterwards. This simple gesture and his gaze made breathing difficult for you and you were hoping he couldn't see you blush. - Thank you, Your Highness - you were blushing a little bit but managed to pull yourself together and hide the way this made you feel. Then you entered the chambers, and the prince left to do his own tasks.

*******

Thranduil gave you a few days to rest and settle in the palace. Your chambers were as you remembered them from before. You were surprised they kept them just for you. Then, one day, a guard came to tell you that the king had requested your presence.

Dressed in the armor of the guard of the Woodland Realm, you exited your chambers and headed towards the hall. You had braided the front of your hair and now you looked more like a soldier. You also had your bow and sword strapped close to your body. Once you entered the hall, you saw Legolas and another woman talking with the king. When they saw you, the king dismissed the woman, who was from the guard, and you were left with the prince and the king. Then Thranduil turned towards the two of you.

- Arise, I hope you were able to rest. You two may be wondering what the purpose of Arise's visit is - Thranduil proceeded. - Well, the reason is of utmost importance. As you know, you two are a prince and a princess and as such you do have certain...responsibilities. You will be leading the elvish kingdoms one day. Elves will not be the leading race forever, although there will always be elves in Middle Earth. Many will leave for the West but there will always be some of us that will stay. And those who stay will always need someone to lead the elvish race, someone to help them in hard times, someone strong and wise. Because of this, me and Galadriel have reached a decision - you two are going to get betrothed. Not right now, but one day - the king turned to you. - Oneday Galadriel will leave and when this time comes, she will appoint you as her heiress as you already know. I will do the same with Legolas, making him the official heir to the Mirkwood throne.

You were as surprised as Legolas. You looked at him, but he was not shocked or angry. He seemed to take the news calmly. And as for you, you were kind of happy about this, admitting to yourself that you have feelings for him.

- I understand, ada. I'm ready to take on this responsibility one day - he turned toward you and smiled. His smile and eyes were so warm and comforting, this made you calm, even though so many feelings were fighting inside you. You simply nodded because you lost your words. - Good. Even if you weren't, the decision has been made. But that does make everything easier. Hopefully, Arise feels the same way - the king turned to you and you felt you were slightly blushing.- Now, let's move on to other things.

The woman from earlier came back and Thranduil presented her to you as Tauriel, the captain of the Elven guard in Mirkwood. You talked about the spiders who have been wandering around the woods. Thranduil gave you a mission to go out and hunt them down. While you were in the Woodland Realm, you went out on many missions with Tauriel and Legolas. He saved your life once when a spider almost killed you. He was always there for you but more like a friend rather than something else or at least you felt it this way. You had established a great friendship even though your heart desired else. You started noticing that Legolas had feelings for Tauriel, but they both knew the king would never allow them to be together. You tried not to get too affected by this, but it did hurt you to see it. And you did everything in your power to hide this from everyone.

******

You were at Mirkwood for a while now. During a mission in the woods, you encountered some dwarves who were attacked by a horde of spiders. You fought off the spiders, but almost at the cost of your own life. You slipped and lost your grip just as two big spiders were coming at you. One of them almost got you but Legolas was quicker than the creature. He saved your life and you regained your grip. Eventually, you managed to kill the spiders and even capture the dwarves. Thranduil did not like that race especially not those you caught. The leader was Thorin Oakshield, a dwarf that Thranduil was definitely not fond of. The dwarves were taken to the cells and kept as prisoners. During this time, Tauriel befriended a dwarf called Kili and became quite close to him. This was quickly noticed by you, Legolas, and even the king.

One day, there was an attack from the orcs at the same time as the dwarves decided to escape, helped by Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit part of their group. You fought the orcs off, but the dwarves managed to escape. This led to Thranduil getting enraged, and he actually decided to go to war simply because he did not like dwarves and because of the gems they took from him so many years ago. Was it unreasonable? Yes. But this was the King of Mirkwood. During the initial battles, you actually encountered many orcs and even a dragon with its fire in the Lake Town. Legolas fought one of the strongest orc leaders out there - Bolg and then Azog. There was a moment when you thought he was going to lose the battle, this was the time when you showed your capabilities. You fought together with him and the dwarf Thorin. The dragon was killed by Bard, a human fisherman who later tried to prevent the war, but due to pride and anger, Thorin and Thranduil went to war. Eventually, the war ended - Thorin was killed, Tauriel was left with a broken heart over the death of Kili.

Nobody knew how costly this war would be. Many were lost on all sides. Thranduil went completely berserk. He banished Tauriel due to her growing relationship with Kili and the fact she constantly protected him and stood up for him, against the king at times. And Legolas, he was ready to leave everything behind for a woman who would never return his feelings. You tried not to get too hurt by this, but the truth was you were heartbroken. Not only were you losing the love of your life and your soul mate but also your friend. You wanted to confess your true feelings to him multiple times, but there was a part of you that was afraid to not get turned down and hurt even more. The biggest hit, however, was when Legolas decided to leave Mirkwood mainly because of Tauriel. This completely devastated you because you knew she was never going to love him as she loved someone else who was now dead. In a way, all of your hearts were broken. That day, you said goodbye to him, not knowing if you would ever forgive him and yourself for not telling him.

After he left, it was time for you to go back to Lothlorien. A heartbroken princess. For the next few decades, you did not see him once, but the pain of your broken heart never faded. You did not know when or if you would ever see him again. Little did you know that there was a greater plan unfolding. As you learned, the evil across Eastern lands was awaking. You knew the time of elves was coming to an end, you mother and father were soon going to travel back to the west, and you had to be strong as this meant your own time was coming. All this meant that sooner or later, your paths will cross again, and you will rediscover each other. And so many things will change. This was faith, and you could not escape it or change it.

#legolas fanfiction #legolas #lord of the rings #wattpad #fanfic #the hobbit

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fictionkinfessions · 1 year

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in response to morgause greenleaf, a kinsman, however distantly:

mae govannen! I believe that was my post you saw, and I am sorry to hear it renewed the grief for you. but a burden shared is a burden halved, yes? I would like to share it with you, if that is permissible. my own ada, the one I wrote to, will never see that post; he is dead and long lost to me. my brothers and my son, also. I've made my peace with never seeing them again, as much as one can. as you have. it's a relief to know that someone did read that in my father's place, that his memory is furthered just a little longer. thank you.

my intended point: I know this separation intimately, and I am sorry that you do, too. but I hope I can offer comfort in company. though our lives were, I suspect, separated by some thousands of years, we are sharing the world now, and I am glad of it, because I can say this: my heart is with yours. your pain is known to me, and I grieve for you.

please forgive me if any of this is overfamiliar. I was... touched by your post, in return, and felt I was looking in a mirror of emotion, if not exact experiences... I couldn't not reach out — but there is no expectation of you, except hopes that this finds you well. sincerely, elwing. 🤍

#fictionkinfessions #ask response #mod party cat!

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ao3feed-tolkien · 1 year

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Filthy Legolas A/B/O porn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/nHsp1jR

by Anonymous

Exactly what it says on the tin. Filthy Legolas/female OC Elf A/B/O smut, with a side of breeding/pregnancy/birth kink, come inflation, posted out of sheer spite. Originally for one of my OCs which I've written for years, I've just changed a bunch of names. If anyone recognises her, shush! Since this was never actually intended to leave my docs, the only part really put together properly is the porn.

Mae is a pretty Elven maiden working as a scribe for Lord Elrond, but she won't stay one for long after meeting the handsome Legolas of Greenwood...

I go by spawningsins on Tumblr.

Words: 2854, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Fuck the AI porndump

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Thranduil (Tolkien), Original Elf Character(s), Original Female Elf Character(s), Original Female Character(s)

Relationships: Legolas Greenleaf/Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Knotting, Come Inflation, Labor kink, birth kink, graphic childbirth, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Loss of Virginity, Mating Cycles/In Heat, this is purely to fuck with ai otherwise this would never leave my docs, Breeding Kink, Pregnancy Kink, Size Kink, Size Difference, Painful Sex

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/nHsp1jR

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #Tolkien #JRR Tolkien #Tolkien works #ao3 #fan fiction

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lboogie1906 · 2 years

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Lynn Whitfield (born February 15, 1953) is an actress. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance in The Josephine Baker Story. She was born in Baton Rouge, the daughter of Jean Smith, a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake. She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. She played leading roles in several made-for-television movies and had several starring in theatrical films, including The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, The Women of Brewster Place, The George McKenna Story, Jaws: The Revenge The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, Jaws: The Revenge, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Gone Fishin', Eve's Bayou, Stepmom, Head of State, Madea's Family Reunion, and The Women. She has starred or appeared in over 100 films and television productions. She starred as Lady Mae Greenleaf in Greenleaf, for which she won critical acclaim and garnered two NAACP Image Awards and a Gracie Award. She has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards. She first garnered attention on the stage by performing with the Black Repertory Company in DC. She married playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield, one of the company's co-founders and a pioneer of Black theatre. She moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown Time before earning international acclaim touring the US, Australia, and London's West End in the play "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf". She made her professional screen debut in Hill Street Blues. She appeared in the comedy film Doctor Detroit. She was a regular cast member in the series HeartBeat. She has been married twice. She married Vantile Whitfield. She married director Brian Gibson, with whom she had a daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha https://www.instagram.com/p/Corsfi6LhVD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

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radiatorchains · 3 months

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Cont.

He kept his golden eyes locked on the balding little man before him, the ill-fitting tracksuit putting in mediocre effort in adding any sort of respectibility to his façade. The fable could feel the other's eyes on him as he looked over his form, knowing what he was looking for and feeling the refreshed pang of rage stab into his chest.

It would have been easy to just reach out and beat the smaller man- not to do any real harm but Jain knew just how Aunty Greenleaf's magic worked how vulnerable it was. A few good, well-placed hits and it would break before the mouthy cryptid before him could register the beating. He may not be able to do much harm to the nesr nihlistic corpse of a beast but Jain could do worse. He could waste his money.

But he refrained, for now. Today his loyalties rested higher than his impulses could reach, so Jain decided the next best option.

"Guess you'll never find out, beng. Ya couldn't afford to find out," he hummed out almost jovially leaning forward to get a little too close to Jersey's ear. On its surface it was a flirtarious gesture, though the sharp edge in his eye and the light animal cackle in his chest suggested otherwise; a pointed threat added with a flagrant invasion of personal space. A cheshire grin hiding a mae full of ripping teeth. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knes Jersey had enough sense to recognize it as well.

#txt.sms #pawnshcpdevil #v: another wild west show

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wahwealth · 5 months

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Jackie Moran | Marcia Mae Jones | Barefoot Boy (1938) | Full Movie English

Barefoot Boy, the movie, is a 1938 American children's adventure story.. The film was directed by Karl Brown, It was inspired by the poem of the same name by American writer John Greenleaf Whittier. Kenneth Hale, a pampered, arrogant young child is sent by his papa, John Hale, who has served time in prison for a criminal activity he did not commit, down to the ranch of an old friend, Calvin Whittaker. The barefooted, truthful, and determined Billy Whittaker, his girl, Julia Blaine, her older sibling Pige, and punky Kenneth get involved with a "haunted" residence and a gang of criminals, while Billy helps make a "better male" out of Kenneth. Cast Jackie Moran as Billy Whittaker Marcia Mae Jones as Pige Blaine Bradley Metcalfe as Kenneth Hale Johnnie Morris as Jeff Blaine Marilyn Knowlden as Julia Blaine Terry as Herself Ralph Morgan as John Hale Claire Windsor as Valerie Hale Helen MacKellar as Martha Whittaker Matty Fain as Blake Frank Puglia as Hank J. Farrell MacDonald as Warden Charles D. Brown as Calvin Whittaker Roger Gray as Dutch Earle Hodgins as Sheriff Henry Roquemore as Benjamin Blaine Hal Cooke as Parker Never miss a video. Join the channel so that Mr. P can notify you when new videos are uploaded: https://www.youtube.com/@nrpsmovieclassics

#youtube

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elizaneals · 11 months

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Blues Disciples – Show 228 – Features Blues Luminaries & Eliza Neals

It was a pleasure to talk to Jamie Anthony of Blues Disciples on his live podcast. I got to talk about my upbringing in the motor-city metro Detroit along with a few other tales. I was humbled to find out much later that I would appear along many luminaries of blues music. I appear on the podcast with Ms Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, Ms Odetta Holmes, Ms Diunna Greenleaf, Ms Catherine Russell, Mr Carey Bell & Mr Louisiana Red, Mr Nappy Brown, Ms Gaye Adegbalola, Mr Buddy Guy & Mr Bobby Rush. Each of these individuals living and passed have impacted my daily creation, work ethic and sound. You can hear two of my latest songs from “Badder to the Bone”

CHECK OUT BLUES DISCIPLES

#blues critics #modern blues #blues singers #blues artist

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ao3feed-thehobbit · 1 year

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Filthy Legolas A/B/O porn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/OFSX3cq

by Anonymous

Exactly what it says on the tin. Filthy Legolas/female OC Elf A/B/O smut, with a side of breeding/pregnancy/birth kink, come inflation, posted out of sheer spite. Since this was never actually intended to leave my docs, the only part really put together properly is the porn.

Mae is a pretty Elven maiden working as a scribe for Lord Elrond, but she won't stay one for long after meeting the handsome Legolas of Greenwood...

This was originally for one of my OCs which I've written for years, I've just changed a bunch of names. If anyone recognises her, shush!

Words: 721, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Fuck the AI porndump

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Thranduil (Tolkien), Original Elf Character(s), Original Female Elf Character(s), Original Female Character(s)

Relationships: Legolas Greenleaf/Original Female Character(s)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/OFSX3cq

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #the hobbit

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unethicallypleistocene · 1 year

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Chapter 3: A Sword Proves Its Worth

“AE!” Kyrri screeched, scooting back only to hit his head on a nearby tree trunk.

“Nan i ‘aear ar in elin!” He cried in his mangled accent, further ravaged by his half-asleep state.

The elf wielding the arrow lowered it slightly, surprised at Kyrri’s exclamation. “Pedig edhellen?”

“OBVIOUSLY,” he snapped in Westron, his terror quickly morphing into fury. “Care to explain why you were about to kill me in my sleep?!”

“I was simply exercising great caution,” replied the elf, unperturbed.

“Next time, exercise caution away from my face,” retorted Kyrri, brushing off his clothes. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Woodland Realm, son of Thranduil,” he said, somewhat self-importantly, and Kyrri wrinkled his nose.

“Perhaps I should not have been so rude to royalty, though I must say you quite deserved it,” he remarked, rolling up his blanket and stuffing it into his pack. “Uh, mae govannen, in any case.”

“Well met,” he replied haughtily, looking slightly less suspicious. “What is a near-halfling such as yourself doing in the hills of Emyn Muil?”

“I am Kyrri of Imladris,” he said through clenched teeth, deciding to ignore the height jab in the spirit of diplomacy, “Or rather, I was most recently. Once again, I seem to be realm-less.”

“A vagrant?” asked Legolas, quite literally looking down on him.

“A scholar,” he bit back. “But what in Arda is a Mirkwood elf doing here?”

Legolas thought hard to himself for a few moments. “I cannot be sure that you are not a spy,” he said, and just as he was about to use all of his brain power to decide on his next course of action, a dwarf came speeding down the nearby slope and practically tumbled into him.

“Gimli!” he exclaimed, exasperated at the dwarf’s mere existence.

A spark of recognition grew on Kyrri’s face as the dwarf taunted Legolas with various zingers about delicate elves.

“You’re the dwarf from the Council of Elrond!” he said abruptly, recalling Gimli’s unsuccessful attempt to destroy a magic ring with sheer physical force.

“Technically,” he huffed, “but I am only the greatest dwarf warrior alive.”

Legolas snorted before remembering why they were all here. “You were present at the Council of Elrond?” he asked, brows knitting in an attempt to recall the event.

“Eh…you could say that,” said Kyrri sheepishly, not feeling quite comfortable enough to reveal his status as a chronic eavesdropper.

“Did Lord Elrond send you as strategic backup?” asked Gimli excitedly, as if he were expecting Kyrri to sweep aside his cloak and reveal a cache of weapons and a warrior’s physique.

“He did not,” he replied almost ruefully. “I owe a debt to a friend. I am on my way to warn Gondor of the impending attack.”

“Then you should join our company!” proposed Legolas, and both Kyrri and Gimli half-expected him to clap his hands in excitement.

“No, he should not!” interjected Gimli indignantly.

“Indeed, I must be on my way,” said Kyrri, nodding emphatically.

“There are orcs in these woods,” said Legolas, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “We must bring you to the Fellowship at once.”

Ignoring both Gimli’s and Kyrri’s protests, Legolas dragged them back to the riverbank with surprising ease and presented the shaggy dog of a traveler to the group as if he had found a new species.

“Gondor?” said Boromir, only now tuning in to Kyrri’s summary of his lacking adventures.

“Wh– yes,” said Kyrri, slightly irritated at the interruption. “My old friend Orthordir remains there. He is a general now,” he elaborated with a hint of pride.

“Ah, General Orthordir! If I recall correctly, I once attempted to engage him in conversation before he ran off, shouting ‘pain is your friend’ or something of that ilk,” reflected Boromir.

“Yes, that does sound like him,” said Kyrri grimly.

“So, you are not here to help us take the ring to Mordor?” asked a curly-haired halfling who had introduced himself as Pippin, a shadow weighing on his otherwise youthful features.

Kyrri paused, surveying the downtrodden group before him. “Truthfully, I do not know how I would be of service,” he said, suddenly feeling extremely guilty. “I am no soldier, nor a wizard. Speaking of, was Mithrandir not with you?”

“He fell,” said another halfling, presumably the ring-bearer Frodo, “in the Mines of Moria.”

“I’m– I’m sorry,” said Kyrri, more stunned than anything else.

“The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all,” recited the halfling miserably, as if he expected Kyrri to know what the heck he was talking about.

“Yet hope remains while the company is true,” finished a figure lurking in the shadows of the trees, causing Kyrri to jump.

“Aragorn, you must stop doing that,” grumbled Gimli.

“Aragorn? As in Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, Heir of Isildur, Chieftain of the Dúnedain?” said Kyrri, his voice growing steadily higher in disbelief.

“Titles will do us no good here,” he said, sitting down to sharpen his sword.

Kyrri chuckled lightly. “Back in Rivendell, we were forbidden to speak of them. Of course, the same could not be said for the subject of yourself.”

Aragorn raised an eyebrow. “Had I been gone that long?”

“Oh, most certainly. It was always ‘When will Estel return?’ or ‘Have you any news of Estel?’ Of course, as the city’s second habitual traveler,” Kyrri gave a small mocking salute at that, “The burden of answering usually fell to me. I was often forced to remind Lady Arwen that I had not encountered you on the road, nor in fact had I ever met you in my life.”

Aragorn snorted, the air seemingly lightened at the mention of the elf. “Then it is a pity our paths should finally cross in this dark hour.”

“A pity indeed,” replied Kyrri, rummaging in his bag for the lump of charcoal he had haphazardly tied to a stick in a poor imitation of a writing utensil. “Right behind the Falls of Rauros,” he muttered, scratching his location into one of his many maps. “Proof for Lady Arwen, upon my return.”

Aragorn grinned.

“Right,” said Boromir abruptly, brushing imaginary dirt off his jerkin, “I shall go find some firewood.”

He walked off, and it was then that the company noticed Frodo had disappeared.

“I’ll go and find him,” volunteered Kyrri, picking up the massive and weighty shield Boromir had left behind.

“...It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It might have been mine.”

Kyrri heard Boromir’s snarl from behind a thicket and began hurrying toward the commotion.

“It should be mine. Give it to me!” Boromir lunged at Frodo, who had fallen on his back and was frantically scrambling away.

“Boromir, stop!” cried Kyrri, running over to shield Frodo from whatever madness had taken hold of the man.

“You will take the ring to Sauron and sell us all!” he roared, his hand hovering dangerously close to his sheathed blade. “Curse you and all the halflings to death and darkness!”

Kyrri whipped around and found that Frodo had somehow disappeared, leaving him alone with a now-psychotic Gondorian. Having thought of nothing else, he rammed his elbow into Boromir’s gut and sent him falling into the leaves. To Kyrri’s horror, he began to cry.

“Frodo! What have I done. Frodo, I’m sorry!” he cried out shakily, tears streaming down his face.

“For Eru’s sake, get a hold of yourself!” said Kyrri, holding out his hand and proceeding to haul the sobbing mess up and off the ground. “That ring really did a number on you, didn’t it?”

“I- I betrayed him,” blubbered Boromir, putting all of his weight on Kyrri’s shoulder as he apparently lost the ability to stand in his emotional turmoil.

“I mean, you did, but at least you did not stab him!” replied Kyrri cheerfully, looking around for the vanished hobbit.

“I am a disgrace to my people, to Gondor,” he sniffed, gazing shamefully at the horn attached to his belt.

Kyrri thought for a moment. “But if Gondor was willing to accept a useless stranger such as I, it would be inconceivable that they deny such welcome to a beloved warrior and defender of the realm.”

“Very funny,” coughed Boromir, trying to get the distress out of his system.

“It would be, if Orthordir had exaggerated the few mentions of the exploits of Boromir the Bold in his letters. Fortunately, he is usually too preoccupied with making himself look good that he often fails to have any room left for everyone else.”

Boromir chuckled weakly. “How did you ever befriend the General?”

The two started walking in search of Frodo. “I lived in Minas Tirith when I was child,” said Kyrri, “Which is why my Sindarin accent is so strange, so I’ve been told.”

Boromir was about to reply when they heard Aragorn yell from the summit of Amon Hen.

“Uruk-Hai!” growled Boromir, unsheathing his sword.

“I’ll find Frodo!” said Kyrri, running in the opposite direction of the oncoming swarm. Remembering the scabbard dangling near his legs, he unsheathed Dagrassaeb to find it glowing a brilliant blue.

“Amarth faeg!” he cursed, whipping around to see an incoming orc who had spotted him.

“Oh no,” he said audibly, trying to remember the meager swordsmanship training Arwen had attempted to give him before giving up entirely.

The Uruk roared ferociously and slashed at Kyrri, who leaped backward and almost fell over. Kyrri swung his blade into the orc’s, producing a clanging noise that was certainly heard by his fellow aggressors. However, Kyrri was more focused on staying alive. He desperately scrambled to parry each attack, with the Uruk growing more bloodthirsty with every failed swing. He held up Boromir’s increasingly heavy shield, only for it to be knocked out of his hands almost immediately. Kyrri was pushed further downhill in this mad fight for his life, and the sharpened hook at the end of the orc’s scimitar cut into the side of Kyrri’s face, producing a warm and sticky sensation that Kyrri could only imagine was a waterfall of blood. High on adrenaline, he slammed his foot into the Uruk’s kneecap with all the strength he could muster before slashing across his exposed arm. To his horror and delight, he found that the elvish blade cut through flesh like it was a pat of butter on a warm summer’s day.

“Sorry!” said Kyrri instinctively when his assailant let out a howl of pain. While the orc was momentarily incapacitated, Kyrri wisely decided to bolt while mentally cringing. Unfortunately, his short legs could only take him so far before the orc stood and started sprinting at full speed toward him. Just as Kyrri was about to begin shrieking in a very un-manly manner, an axe flew through the air and lodged itself in the Uruk’s skull, sending it crashing to the forest floor.

“Gimli! Thank you!” Kyrri panted, unconsciously deciding that a battle was the best time to mind his manners.

“There are more coming,” Gimli said, ignoring Kyrri’s winded state. “What happened to the wee hobbits?”

“I was trying to find–” Kyrri started before Gimli charged off to slaughter more Uruk-Hai. He made his way down the incline, dodging the ancient stone remnants and massive roots that lined the ground and made it impossible to run anywhere without coming close to tripping.

He soon came across a clearing where Merry and Pippin engaged in some kind of tackling maneuver on an orc who had somehow not stabbed them yet, and found Boromir skillfully dispatching the wave of soldiers hurtling toward him while blowing the Horn of Gondor with great resolve. Kyrri was thanking the Valar that he had not been spotted from his shoddy hiding place behind a tree when he saw an Uruk archer menacingly approach Boromir from behind. While Kyrri had known the man for a grand total of three hours and was not enthusiastic about risking his own life to save him, he was exceedingly unenthused about returning to Gondor with news of the steward’s son–his favorite son, no less–having died an untimely death. Denethor would probably find a way to rescind his school diploma. Thus, with a shout that sounded almost warlike, Kyrri swung Dagrassaeb without skill or cunning at the formidable Uruk without a second thought. His blade pierced the archer’s hide, and thick rivulets of black blood ran down its length toward the hilt. The archer, thoroughly distracted, whipped around to attempt to shoot him at close range, and so Kyrri wrenched the sword from the wall of flesh before him and tried to knock the arrow from its seat on the Uruk’s bow. He failed, of course, but the orc nevertheless dropped the massive weapon in favor of drawing a half-rusted blade, presumably to have more fun with Kyrri before striking him down. Kyrri stumbled back once more, and suddenly felt an overwhelming burst of pain in his midsection where the orc had kicked him hard enough to send him flying. He tasted a salty, metallic tang on his tongue as he heaved a shuddered breath and lifted his head to see the orc approaching. Spotting Dagrassaeb among the strewn leaves, Kyrri pulled himself up with a hiss and stumbled toward it. The orc slashed at him, and Kyrri narrowly dodged the attacks in what must have been a Valar-given miracle. Finally reaching his sword, he stood and spat a globule of dark blood mingled with saliva at the Uruk. He seemed to take this as a challenge, for he snarled something in Black Speech and charged at Kyrri.

“Mobility is key,” rang Arwen’s voice in Kyrri’s head, “Be swift, for your enemy will not be gracious enough to afford you time to think.”

Kyrri dove as the archer swung at his head, slashing at the orc’s legs and leaving deep cuts that began to weep. He was not slowed in the slightest, but Kyrri nevertheless batted the orc’s blade out of the way and cleaved the Uruk’s head from his shoulders. With his lacking strength, however, Dagrassaeb remained lodged in the orc’s throat and Kyrri spent several moments hacking away at the fallen orc’s neck with his pocket knife until his sword was fully extricated. The excitement of battle quickly melting away, Kyrri found himself struggling to breathe as he stood staring at the elvish blade, glittering black with globules of blood dripping unceremoniously to the forest floor. A voice startled him out of his reverie, to his great relief.

“Kyrri,” greeted Boromir, looking exhausted but very much alive. Kyrri nodded in acknowledgment, Boromir’s earlier outburst still ringing in his ears.

Pippin ran up the slope, jutting his thumb at the felled archer. “He would’ve shot somebody if it wasn’t for you!”

Boromir looked at Kyrri meaningfully. “I am in your debt,” he said, bowing his head, “I owe you my life, however low and undeserving it is.”

Kyrri wrung his hands nervously. “Oh, my lord, there’s no need–”

“You’re bleeding!” exclaimed Merry, running up to gesture at Kyrri’s face.

Sucking air through his teeth, Kyrri squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “It’s nothing, just a scratch,” he replied in a stilted voice.

The others appraised his injury, looking unconvinced.

“It is of no matter,” he said tersely, beginning to walk downhill with a slight limp. “We must find Frodo if–”

“Kyrri! You are alive!” crowed Legolas, hurrying toward the group with Aragorn and Gimli in tow. “We have seen Frodo and Sam on the riverbank, headed to Mordor alone,” said Aragorn darkly.

“Master Samwise still thought to bring all his cooking utensils,” said the elf fondly, shaking his head.

“I have driven him to his death!” abruptly exclaimed Boromir, throwing his hands into the air.

“Whatever do you mean?” asked Aragorn, visibly uncomfortable at the sudden display.

“I tried to take it,” mumbled Boromir miserably, staring at his hands, “and I very well could have, were it not for Kyrri.”

“Stop saying things like that!” Kyrri exclaimed, crossing his arms. He was thoroughly disquieted by suddenly becoming the center of attention.

“I cannot atone for what I have done,” intoned Boromir, kneeling at Aragorn’s feet, “but I am at your service, my king.”

Aragorn heaved a long sigh, leaning down to meet Boromir at eye level.

“Merry and Pippin live, and the company continues on its quest. No great betrayal have you wrought, son of Gondor.”

Boromir sharply inhaled, which Aragorn decided to take as a sign of agreement before standing up and helping Boromir to his feet.

“Sam and Frodo journey onwards, as shall we,” said Aragorn, hands positioned on his hips like a youth soccer coach giving a teamwork speech, “The only question, now, is where.”

“I am going to Minas Tirith, as I said,” declared Boromir, looking back at Kyrri. “If I might aid you in your quest to Gondor, I could perhaps seek to repay my debt.”

“There’s no debt,” said Kyrri frustratedly, “Except what I owe to General Orthordir. I will go with you to Gondor.”

“How are we even discussing this?” interjected a distressed Merry. “Are we to abandon Frodo and Sam completely?”

“They are on their own path now, Merry,” consoled Aragorn. “We must only do that which we can.”

Sindarin: Nan i ‘aear ar in elin! - By the sea and the stars! Pedig edhellen? - You speak Elvish? (informal) Amarth faeg! - Evil fate!

#errantry #pleistocene writes fanfic

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