Prince of Dol Guldur; Chapter 1: Strange Feeling
Story Info
Title: Prince of Dol Guldur
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings
Era: Third Age of the Sun
Genre: Action/Adventure, AU
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Legolas, Thrandui (, OCs)
Summary: Mirkwood Elves live constantly under an influence of a shadow, and it isn’t too hard to cross the line to the side of darkness... Legolas learns this as he meets a stranger in the woods, who desires to show him a new way to see the world.
Part of the history of “The Last Journey”. Complete.
Warnings: Death, evil, darkness, violence, etc.
Beta: Kitt of Lindon
Disclaimer: This story is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories about Middle-earth (mostly on the Lord of the Rings). The characters are not mine - except for those whom I have created. The story is alternative universe, but written to honour Tolkien’s creations.
Have a good time and enjoy the ride (at least I hope you do!)
Feedback: Yes, please, be so kind! Please review, I would love to know your opinion.
Author’s Notes: English is not my mother tongue, so it isn’t perfect. Please inform me of spelling and grammar errors, so I can correct them!
“Theme”: Lullacry: Heart of Darkness (from the album ‘Crucify My Heart’)
About Price of Dol Guldur: A dark story about the event’s long before The Last Journey - but which connect into the later events strongly. This is a kind of story I love most: full of darkness, anguish and loyalty. Hopefully this ends up satisfying my own factors, at least! ;)
Takes place some years after “Hîthsir”, but that doesn’t matter as the stories do not really connect to each other. What else could I say… You may wish to read “Influence” before this, but it is not entirely necessary (as it is not necessary to wait this story to end before moving to “The Last Journey”). After all, “The Last Journey” is a main story of the series, and the others are like extended sections for it.
Have fun! (or less fun, I hope #sinister look#)
Chapters and their status: Here below you see the writing process of the story’s chapters. If there is no text after the chapter’s name, then it is finished and checked (until someone of my dear readers points me out some mistake, or I will do some updating…) so, check this page, because here I will mark the dates of the updates…
01 Strange Feeling
02 Unanswered Questions
03 Dreams and Speech
04 Unexpected Battle
05 Meeting With Stranger
06 Walking With an Enemy
07 Hidden Thoughts
08 Knowledge
09 Hidden Fears
10 Decision of Heart
11 Fear Arises
12 New Ways of Learning
13 Valiant Searching
14 Plans on Both Sides
15 Test
16 True Nightmares
17 Finding Tracks
18 Shadows Fall
19 Betrayal
20 Joining Battles
21 Defeat
OC’s Introductions:
The Three Cousins of Hithsîr
Dínnor’s father and Thalión’s and Asthaldo’s mothers were from the same family. Those three young Elves lived in the highlands of Taur-en-Faroth during the years of their youth. In the place called Hithsîr (Mistriver) that ran in the Taur-en-Faroth, south from Nargothrond, was fought a battle long before the destruction of Beleriand and the northern lands. Of that battle only few Elven stories tell, because it wasn’t a great one, but the ones who fought in it (The Three Cousins) were named by it for years to come. Nearly hundred of Orcs that were heading to Nargothrond were waylaid there by those three and were slew during that night by them alone. The Cousins were barely adults, but they fought none the less, and the enemy was destroyed before they reached their destination. This battle is known among all the Elves, and the Three who fought in it have gained a great name in the years after, even if this first battle wasn’t even near the greatest of all those they later fought.
They were among those few Sindarin Elves who came to the Greenwood the Great with Oropher on the Second Age. They also fought with Oropher on Dagorlad, and were among those few who were led back home by Thranduil, who was made King after his return, for Oropher never returned.
(See my story Hithsîr)
Dínnor
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Thalión and Asthaldo: oldest of the three Cousins of Hithsîr. Golden long hair that is all braided to small braids. Dun eyes. Good archer and excellent swordsman. Excellent tracker. Also a patient observer, when needed, though quite rush at times.
Thalión
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Dínnor and Asthaldo, one of the famous Cousins of Hithsîr. Long, silver hair, which upper layer is braided to small braids, blue bands braided among the hair. Powder blue eyes. Excellent archer and good with sword and knives. Strong contact to nature, and can approach his destination without waking any suspicions of his presence. Even more patient observer than Dínnor.
Asthaldo
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Dínnor and Thalión: youngest of the three Cousins of Hithsîr. Pale golden hair long from the back, short front hair reaches just behind ears. Fallow eyes. Good swordsman and archer. Skilled in swift, close battles with knives or swords. Also a good scout, for he is able to silence any enemy quickly and without a sound.
Rafél
Race: Sindar Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born during the Age of the Stars
One of those few Sindarin Elves who came with Oropher to the Greenwood the Great, and fought in the Battle of Dagorlad. Legolas' bodyguard. Also a captain and a remarkable soldier in Woodland Realm's forces, though mostly his time is occupied with his duties to protect Legolas. Unlike (usually) to Sindar Elves, he has deep brown eyes. Long, very light, nearly white, brownish hair.
Thrénandu
Race: Silvan Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born on the Second Age
Captain in Woodland Realm's forces. Has been Legolas’ tutor since the Prince started to practice as a Novice. Long golden hair and light blue eyes. Uses both bow and sword with years of experience.
Shannai
Race: Silvan Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born in the beginning of the Third Age
Long bronze hair, light green eyes. Prefers to fight with a sword or knives, not very good archer by Elven standards. Few centuries older that Legolas, and has befriended the Prince since his childhood. Possesses a very unusual nature for an Elf: loves to befriend other races and is interested about them and their culture. Remembers the heard stories well and likes to tell them anew. Excellent sense of humour.
~ ~ ~
Author’s Note: Again, all spoken words are Sindarin, or else they are marked. No point to make the Elves speak Westron among each other (unless they are certain Cousins) *smirk*
Chapter 1: Strange Feeling
Third Age of the Sun,
Mirkwood
The clash of weapons and cries of the warriors faded to the back. The bitter, southern wind seemed to freeze Rafél to the core, emptying him of all warmth he ever had. But it was not the wind that tried to stop his heart from beating. It was the darkness closing around his fëa, ripping his soul apart. His own fear.
He had never been this afraid in his life.
“Don’t give up, Legolas,” the voice not his own asked, his trembling hands holding the limp body closer. Distant blue eyes gazed up at him, asking forgiveness. A shiver ran through the other’s body, increasing the terror in Rafél’s mind. “Fight,” he hissed, his fingers trying to keep their hold on the bloody garment.
Blood.
It was everywhere, staining his hands and the ground around them, its warmth being the only thing to drive away the cold that tried to take a grip of his mind. It was a blood he had sworn to protect. Blood of the one he had looked after for years. Blood of a youth dying in his arms.
“Legolas, I beg you… Do not give up.” His voice trailed of, his eyes trying in vain to encourage the other Elf to go on. The blue eyes fell shut, his breathing slowing down. The uneven beat of his heart grew weaker, the flow of his blood slowing down. Rafél bowed his head in despair, his lips repeating a silent prayer like a mantra, begging the Valar to save his dying Prince. “How did I not see this coming? Why didn’t I do anything? Why couldn’t I die instead of him?” he whispered, his mind falling back to the events of past. For there was no future…
Six days before
Legolas halted among the branches, his steady gaze sweeping over the ground far below. There was nothing out of ordinary, but the familiar feeling in the back of his mind told otherwise. Something dark was present. But it seems that no-one else is sensing anything, he mused, watching as the rest of the novice-patrol passed him. He looked back down again, frowning. He was so certain that he had felt something…
“Legolas, are you coming?” another voice called, Shannai stepping onto a branch next to Legolas’. “Thrénandu is coming back soon if you do not hurry up,” he added as an afterthought, smoothing his bronze hair. “Oh, too late,” he muttered, throwing Legolas an unhappy glance.
Indeed, Thrénandu was returning along their trail, his keen eyes spotting the novices immediately. He reached the couple, giving them a questioning look. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his light blue eyes shifting to Legolas.
“Nothing,” Legolas answered rather absently, trying to fight off the growing sense that something dark was watching him. The feeling in the back of his mind was persistent, not giving up as he tried to fight it back: it pulled away and dashed past him as he tried to reach it. “I just stopped to check the path below…” he mumbled, gazing up to his tutor.
Thrénandu nodded slowly, his mind easily reading through the lines that something was out of place. “Very well. Now, as there is nothing wrong, would you join to the rest of us? Rafél would have my head if we are late again,” he smiled at Legolas, then headed back towards the other novices.
“Has Rafél ever truly threatened him, I wonder?” Shannai mused as they walked after the others. “I mean, Thrénandu is a captain and everything, even if he works as a novice-trainer at the moment. But then again, Rafél is a lot older than Thrénandu, isn’t he? And I would say that Rafél is a way more dangerous than Thrénandu, sometimes.” He halted his account, turning to Legolas. “Are you even listening to me?” he asked, annoyed. “You look very out of everything, which is a bad thing: you have to be constantly aware of everything when you are on a patrol, you know.”
“I know,” Legolas said slowly, trying to put his mind into focus. “My apologies, what were you asking?”
With a sigh, Shannai returned back to his earlier topic. “I just wondered if Thrénandu is truly afraid of Rafél hurting him.”
“Of course not, in a normal case,” Legolas snorted. “Thrénandu respects Rafél greatly, but they have also fought together for a long time. Though it might be possible that in some very unlikely occasion, Rafél might hurt him. But I do not believe that we would see such a thing happen.”
“Even if something would happen to you during Thrénandu’s classes, when Rafél is not around? Like today?” Shannai insisted.
“Well, Rafél would be angry, of course,” Legolas said haltingly. “And he would come with us to the classes after that,” he finished.
“Why did he not come today?” Shannai asked. “This was a patrol, after all.”
“Maybe he didn’t see it necessary,” Legolas answered, irritation in his voice. The dark feeling hadn’t yet completely passed, and he was not in a mood to listen Shannai’s never-ending babbling. Speeding up, Legolas climbed to a higher level of branches, forcing Shannai to silence himself in order to follow.
Below, in the shadows of the tall trees, a shape moved in a swirling darkness. “It is time,” it hissed maliciously, and then disappeared, leaving a deathly silence in its wake.
to be continued…
Title: Prince of Dol Guldur
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings
Era: Third Age of the Sun
Genre: Action/Adventure, AU
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Legolas, Thrandui (, OCs)
Summary: Mirkwood Elves live constantly under an influence of a shadow, and it isn’t too hard to cross the line to the side of darkness... Legolas learns this as he meets a stranger in the woods, who desires to show him a new way to see the world.
Part of the history of “The Last Journey”. Complete.
Warnings: Death, evil, darkness, violence, etc.
Beta: Kitt of Lindon
Disclaimer: This story is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories about Middle-earth (mostly on the Lord of the Rings). The characters are not mine - except for those whom I have created. The story is alternative universe, but written to honour Tolkien’s creations.
Have a good time and enjoy the ride (at least I hope you do!)
Feedback: Yes, please, be so kind! Please review, I would love to know your opinion.
Author’s Notes: English is not my mother tongue, so it isn’t perfect. Please inform me of spelling and grammar errors, so I can correct them!
“Theme”: Lullacry: Heart of Darkness (from the album ‘Crucify My Heart’)
About Price of Dol Guldur: A dark story about the event’s long before The Last Journey - but which connect into the later events strongly. This is a kind of story I love most: full of darkness, anguish and loyalty. Hopefully this ends up satisfying my own factors, at least! ;)
Takes place some years after “Hîthsir”, but that doesn’t matter as the stories do not really connect to each other. What else could I say… You may wish to read “Influence” before this, but it is not entirely necessary (as it is not necessary to wait this story to end before moving to “The Last Journey”). After all, “The Last Journey” is a main story of the series, and the others are like extended sections for it.
Have fun! (or less fun, I hope #sinister look#)
Chapters and their status: Here below you see the writing process of the story’s chapters. If there is no text after the chapter’s name, then it is finished and checked (until someone of my dear readers points me out some mistake, or I will do some updating…) so, check this page, because here I will mark the dates of the updates…
01 Strange Feeling
02 Unanswered Questions
03 Dreams and Speech
04 Unexpected Battle
05 Meeting With Stranger
06 Walking With an Enemy
07 Hidden Thoughts
08 Knowledge
09 Hidden Fears
10 Decision of Heart
11 Fear Arises
12 New Ways of Learning
13 Valiant Searching
14 Plans on Both Sides
15 Test
16 True Nightmares
17 Finding Tracks
18 Shadows Fall
19 Betrayal
20 Joining Battles
21 Defeat
OC’s Introductions:
The Three Cousins of Hithsîr
Dínnor’s father and Thalión’s and Asthaldo’s mothers were from the same family. Those three young Elves lived in the highlands of Taur-en-Faroth during the years of their youth. In the place called Hithsîr (Mistriver) that ran in the Taur-en-Faroth, south from Nargothrond, was fought a battle long before the destruction of Beleriand and the northern lands. Of that battle only few Elven stories tell, because it wasn’t a great one, but the ones who fought in it (The Three Cousins) were named by it for years to come. Nearly hundred of Orcs that were heading to Nargothrond were waylaid there by those three and were slew during that night by them alone. The Cousins were barely adults, but they fought none the less, and the enemy was destroyed before they reached their destination. This battle is known among all the Elves, and the Three who fought in it have gained a great name in the years after, even if this first battle wasn’t even near the greatest of all those they later fought.
They were among those few Sindarin Elves who came to the Greenwood the Great with Oropher on the Second Age. They also fought with Oropher on Dagorlad, and were among those few who were led back home by Thranduil, who was made King after his return, for Oropher never returned.
(See my story Hithsîr)
Dínnor
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Thalión and Asthaldo: oldest of the three Cousins of Hithsîr. Golden long hair that is all braided to small braids. Dun eyes. Good archer and excellent swordsman. Excellent tracker. Also a patient observer, when needed, though quite rush at times.
Thalión
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Dínnor and Asthaldo, one of the famous Cousins of Hithsîr. Long, silver hair, which upper layer is braided to small braids, blue bands braided among the hair. Powder blue eyes. Excellent archer and good with sword and knives. Strong contact to nature, and can approach his destination without waking any suspicions of his presence. Even more patient observer than Dínnor.
Asthaldo
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: Born in the beginning of the First Age
Cousin of Dínnor and Thalión: youngest of the three Cousins of Hithsîr. Pale golden hair long from the back, short front hair reaches just behind ears. Fallow eyes. Good swordsman and archer. Skilled in swift, close battles with knives or swords. Also a good scout, for he is able to silence any enemy quickly and without a sound.
Rafél
Race: Sindar Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born during the Age of the Stars
One of those few Sindarin Elves who came with Oropher to the Greenwood the Great, and fought in the Battle of Dagorlad. Legolas' bodyguard. Also a captain and a remarkable soldier in Woodland Realm's forces, though mostly his time is occupied with his duties to protect Legolas. Unlike (usually) to Sindar Elves, he has deep brown eyes. Long, very light, nearly white, brownish hair.
Thrénandu
Race: Silvan Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born on the Second Age
Captain in Woodland Realm's forces. Has been Legolas’ tutor since the Prince started to practice as a Novice. Long golden hair and light blue eyes. Uses both bow and sword with years of experience.
Shannai
Race: Silvan Elf of Eryn Lasgalen
Age: Born in the beginning of the Third Age
Long bronze hair, light green eyes. Prefers to fight with a sword or knives, not very good archer by Elven standards. Few centuries older that Legolas, and has befriended the Prince since his childhood. Possesses a very unusual nature for an Elf: loves to befriend other races and is interested about them and their culture. Remembers the heard stories well and likes to tell them anew. Excellent sense of humour.
~ ~ ~
Author’s Note: Again, all spoken words are Sindarin, or else they are marked. No point to make the Elves speak Westron among each other (unless they are certain Cousins) *smirk*
Chapter 1: Strange Feeling
Third Age of the Sun,
Mirkwood
The clash of weapons and cries of the warriors faded to the back. The bitter, southern wind seemed to freeze Rafél to the core, emptying him of all warmth he ever had. But it was not the wind that tried to stop his heart from beating. It was the darkness closing around his fëa, ripping his soul apart. His own fear.
He had never been this afraid in his life.
“Don’t give up, Legolas,” the voice not his own asked, his trembling hands holding the limp body closer. Distant blue eyes gazed up at him, asking forgiveness. A shiver ran through the other’s body, increasing the terror in Rafél’s mind. “Fight,” he hissed, his fingers trying to keep their hold on the bloody garment.
Blood.
It was everywhere, staining his hands and the ground around them, its warmth being the only thing to drive away the cold that tried to take a grip of his mind. It was a blood he had sworn to protect. Blood of the one he had looked after for years. Blood of a youth dying in his arms.
“Legolas, I beg you… Do not give up.” His voice trailed of, his eyes trying in vain to encourage the other Elf to go on. The blue eyes fell shut, his breathing slowing down. The uneven beat of his heart grew weaker, the flow of his blood slowing down. Rafél bowed his head in despair, his lips repeating a silent prayer like a mantra, begging the Valar to save his dying Prince. “How did I not see this coming? Why didn’t I do anything? Why couldn’t I die instead of him?” he whispered, his mind falling back to the events of past. For there was no future…
Six days before
Legolas halted among the branches, his steady gaze sweeping over the ground far below. There was nothing out of ordinary, but the familiar feeling in the back of his mind told otherwise. Something dark was present. But it seems that no-one else is sensing anything, he mused, watching as the rest of the novice-patrol passed him. He looked back down again, frowning. He was so certain that he had felt something…
“Legolas, are you coming?” another voice called, Shannai stepping onto a branch next to Legolas’. “Thrénandu is coming back soon if you do not hurry up,” he added as an afterthought, smoothing his bronze hair. “Oh, too late,” he muttered, throwing Legolas an unhappy glance.
Indeed, Thrénandu was returning along their trail, his keen eyes spotting the novices immediately. He reached the couple, giving them a questioning look. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his light blue eyes shifting to Legolas.
“Nothing,” Legolas answered rather absently, trying to fight off the growing sense that something dark was watching him. The feeling in the back of his mind was persistent, not giving up as he tried to fight it back: it pulled away and dashed past him as he tried to reach it. “I just stopped to check the path below…” he mumbled, gazing up to his tutor.
Thrénandu nodded slowly, his mind easily reading through the lines that something was out of place. “Very well. Now, as there is nothing wrong, would you join to the rest of us? Rafél would have my head if we are late again,” he smiled at Legolas, then headed back towards the other novices.
“Has Rafél ever truly threatened him, I wonder?” Shannai mused as they walked after the others. “I mean, Thrénandu is a captain and everything, even if he works as a novice-trainer at the moment. But then again, Rafél is a lot older than Thrénandu, isn’t he? And I would say that Rafél is a way more dangerous than Thrénandu, sometimes.” He halted his account, turning to Legolas. “Are you even listening to me?” he asked, annoyed. “You look very out of everything, which is a bad thing: you have to be constantly aware of everything when you are on a patrol, you know.”
“I know,” Legolas said slowly, trying to put his mind into focus. “My apologies, what were you asking?”
With a sigh, Shannai returned back to his earlier topic. “I just wondered if Thrénandu is truly afraid of Rafél hurting him.”
“Of course not, in a normal case,” Legolas snorted. “Thrénandu respects Rafél greatly, but they have also fought together for a long time. Though it might be possible that in some very unlikely occasion, Rafél might hurt him. But I do not believe that we would see such a thing happen.”
“Even if something would happen to you during Thrénandu’s classes, when Rafél is not around? Like today?” Shannai insisted.
“Well, Rafél would be angry, of course,” Legolas said haltingly. “And he would come with us to the classes after that,” he finished.
“Why did he not come today?” Shannai asked. “This was a patrol, after all.”
“Maybe he didn’t see it necessary,” Legolas answered, irritation in his voice. The dark feeling hadn’t yet completely passed, and he was not in a mood to listen Shannai’s never-ending babbling. Speeding up, Legolas climbed to a higher level of branches, forcing Shannai to silence himself in order to follow.
Below, in the shadows of the tall trees, a shape moved in a swirling darkness. “It is time,” it hissed maliciously, and then disappeared, leaving a deathly silence in its wake.
to be continued…