Categories > Books > Lord of the Rings > LOTR : On the Wings of a Dragon
Chapter 9
The dragon furled it wings and looked at Aragorn. Legolas came up beside him Aragorn and looked directly at the dragon. That's when he noticed it. The beast was wearing a steel breastplate on its chest. The breastplate was connected to straps that came around the dragon's shoulders and the base of its wings. Legolas couldn't believe it. It was wearing a saddle! And normally when a beast wore a saddle there would be a rider. Legolas looked around the side of the dragon. He could not see the actual rider around the broad neck of the dragon, but he did see the rider's leg. As the dragon continued to look at Aragorn, it shifted slightly, turning it body. Now Legolas could see the rider. Clad in silver Elven armour, the rider sat on the dragon's back, looking refined. He couldn't see the rider's face because he wore a helmet. There was a bow and arrows slung over his back. The dragon had no bridle or reins, which meant that its rider had to either hold on the horn of the saddle or grip with his legs. Everything was silent. The rider suddenly looked at Legolas. For a moment it looked as if he would bring the visor of his helmet up, but he stopped. He then looked forward again and the dragon leapt into the air and turned west, back towards the mountains, and what Legolas could only guess, its lair. They all looked after the dragon.
"What was that about?" Gimli asked. Legolas realized that the dwarf had been beside him the whole time.
"I don't know." Aragorn looked at Legolas. "Was my mind cloudy or was there a rider."
"Indeed there was." Gimli tried not to show his surprise, but he was very surprised indeed. Then the words came back to Legolas' mind.
'She is not dead Legolas.' Who had communicated with him? It couldn't have possibly been the dragon.
"Legolas?" He came out of his trance.
"I'm fine Aragorn." But he wasn't. Who sent those messages? And who was that rider?
Legolas was unsaddling Arod that night. The horse was exhausted. His mind was full of questions and no answers. It was dark out now. The tents had been set up hours ago, but Legolas had ridden Arod away from the camp to try and collect his thoughts. It hadn't worked. He had just set Arod's saddle down when he suddenly stopped. He came to a decision. He picked Arod's saddle back up and walked towards Alassea. He hadn't told anyone about the messages, so no one would come looking for him. He saddled the mare and mounted. Silently he rode north-west, towards Fangorn and towards the Misty Mountains. If it had been the dragon that communicated with him, he would find out were Akila was, and bring her back. He stopped as the camp was just about to disappear over the hill tops. He then turned back and continued to ride throughout the night.
Aragorn woke up just after the sun rose. He stretched and got dressed. As he left his tent and started walking towards the food tent, he heard Gimli. He turned his head. The dwarf had just woken up as well.
"Have you seen Legolas?" Gimli asked him.
"No, he's probably in his tent."
"I checked, he is not there." Aragorn looked at the tethered horses. Arod was there, but Alassea was not.
"No. You don't think." Gimli nodded his head. "This is bad." Aragorn said. But he knew his friend would come back. Legolas was a very resourceful elf, and if he did ride toward Fangorn looking for Akila, he would eventually come back. The army waited an extra hour for the elf, but they had to continue towards Edoras. So they did.
By mid morning Legolas had reached Fangorn. As the line of trees greeted him, he felt odd. Like there was an odd presence here. By mid afternoon, he was deep in the south western part of the forest and decided to stop for a drink at a small pond and allow Alassea to rest. As he dismounted the wind whistled in the trees. That's when he saw her. An Elven woman clad in a beautiful white grown stood by one of the trees. Legolas blinked. How had she sneaked up on him? He was about to speak when she spoke in elvish.
"Legolas, I see you have come." Legolas nodded his head. This was the voice of who he had communicated with. She had long golden coloured hair and as Legolas looked into her eyes, he could see thousands of years of wisdom.
"Where is Akila?" He asked. So he had not communicated with the dragon, but an elf.
The she-elf turned and pointed towards the Misty Mountains.
"Go. You haven't much time." This jolted Legolas.
"What do you mean?" Was Akila hurt? The she-elf didn't answer him.
"Only you can help her remember." Legolas opened his mouth to speak, when the elf disappeared behind a tree. He let Alassea rest a bit longer, then headed towards the Misty Mountains again. When they came into view, the sun began to rise on a new day. As Alassea picked her way around stones at the base of the mountain, Legolas looked up. There had to be a cave or somewhere that Akila would possibly be. Alassea suddenly stopped. They stood in front of a cave. It was huge, and dark. Legolas wished he had a torch or a lamp, but he did not. He dismounted and thought of leaving Alassea outside, but decided to lead her in. Complete darkness enveloped him and the horse as they entered, and he stopped to let his eyes a just. Then he continued deeper into the cave.
Legolas had been walking, for how long he couldn't tell, when he heard a noise. It sounded like a trickling stream. Then he saw light at the end of the tunnel and sped up. Alassea gently pulled on the reins as Legolas shielded his eyes. Legolas was nearly blinded as the bright light enveloped him. He could hear heavy breathing and he heard Alassea squeal and rear. He tried to hold on, but the reins slipped from his grasp and the horse bolted forward, but not out of the cave. His eyes adapted to the light and he blinked them. He they saw why Alassea had reared. The gold dragon stood no more then four feet in front of him. Beside the dragon stood the rider, still clad in silver armour. Legolas took a step back. Alassea stood off the right side of the cave, but she looked calm, almost curious. The horse was flaring her nostrils taking in the scents. The dragon continued to look at Legolas, but so did the rider. Oddly, Alassea was actually slowly walking toward the two. The dragon stepped off to the side and the horse walked just a foot from the silver clad elf. Legolas was extremely confused. Now the rider was looking at the horse. Alassea took another sniff and screamed with joy. She suddenly nuzzled her nose against the rider's chest and rest it there, almost smiling. A sudden thought came to Legolas' mind. Alassea would only do that to one person. He took a step forward.
"Akila?!" His voice was a cross between a whisper and a yell. The rider suddenly looked at him and put his hands on his helmet, then removed it and held it under his arm. Akila's face appeared from beneath the helm and her brown hair fell down to her shoulders. She looked confused.
"How do you know my name?"
"What are you talking about?" Legolas wanted to run up and hug her, but he didn't. Now he was the one who was confused. Then he remembered what the mysterious she-elf had said.
'Only you can help her remember.' It hit Legolas hard. She had lost her memory, she had most likely hit her head when she had disappeared not long ago.
"Akila you have to remember me." Legolas took another step forward.
"I am sorry Legolas." Akila looked shocked by her own words. "How did I know your name?" It was more of a question she was asking herself. Alassea's nose was now off her chest. The dragon stood off to the side and looked at Akila, and Akila looked back. She then shook her head. Legolas thought of some way to completely return her memory, she had remembered his name, but not him. What could possibly make her remember? Wait! But had he brought it? He put his hand into the pocket of his cloak and could feel the cool metal object. Her pendant. He walked towards her until he was arms length away from her. He held the pendant up. She looked at it then looked at him, and dropped her helmet. She took it and stared at it in her palm.
"I remember." She took a look at Legolas then at the pendant. "Thankyou Legolas." She then hugged him, and almost cried.
The dragon furled it wings and looked at Aragorn. Legolas came up beside him Aragorn and looked directly at the dragon. That's when he noticed it. The beast was wearing a steel breastplate on its chest. The breastplate was connected to straps that came around the dragon's shoulders and the base of its wings. Legolas couldn't believe it. It was wearing a saddle! And normally when a beast wore a saddle there would be a rider. Legolas looked around the side of the dragon. He could not see the actual rider around the broad neck of the dragon, but he did see the rider's leg. As the dragon continued to look at Aragorn, it shifted slightly, turning it body. Now Legolas could see the rider. Clad in silver Elven armour, the rider sat on the dragon's back, looking refined. He couldn't see the rider's face because he wore a helmet. There was a bow and arrows slung over his back. The dragon had no bridle or reins, which meant that its rider had to either hold on the horn of the saddle or grip with his legs. Everything was silent. The rider suddenly looked at Legolas. For a moment it looked as if he would bring the visor of his helmet up, but he stopped. He then looked forward again and the dragon leapt into the air and turned west, back towards the mountains, and what Legolas could only guess, its lair. They all looked after the dragon.
"What was that about?" Gimli asked. Legolas realized that the dwarf had been beside him the whole time.
"I don't know." Aragorn looked at Legolas. "Was my mind cloudy or was there a rider."
"Indeed there was." Gimli tried not to show his surprise, but he was very surprised indeed. Then the words came back to Legolas' mind.
'She is not dead Legolas.' Who had communicated with him? It couldn't have possibly been the dragon.
"Legolas?" He came out of his trance.
"I'm fine Aragorn." But he wasn't. Who sent those messages? And who was that rider?
Legolas was unsaddling Arod that night. The horse was exhausted. His mind was full of questions and no answers. It was dark out now. The tents had been set up hours ago, but Legolas had ridden Arod away from the camp to try and collect his thoughts. It hadn't worked. He had just set Arod's saddle down when he suddenly stopped. He came to a decision. He picked Arod's saddle back up and walked towards Alassea. He hadn't told anyone about the messages, so no one would come looking for him. He saddled the mare and mounted. Silently he rode north-west, towards Fangorn and towards the Misty Mountains. If it had been the dragon that communicated with him, he would find out were Akila was, and bring her back. He stopped as the camp was just about to disappear over the hill tops. He then turned back and continued to ride throughout the night.
Aragorn woke up just after the sun rose. He stretched and got dressed. As he left his tent and started walking towards the food tent, he heard Gimli. He turned his head. The dwarf had just woken up as well.
"Have you seen Legolas?" Gimli asked him.
"No, he's probably in his tent."
"I checked, he is not there." Aragorn looked at the tethered horses. Arod was there, but Alassea was not.
"No. You don't think." Gimli nodded his head. "This is bad." Aragorn said. But he knew his friend would come back. Legolas was a very resourceful elf, and if he did ride toward Fangorn looking for Akila, he would eventually come back. The army waited an extra hour for the elf, but they had to continue towards Edoras. So they did.
By mid morning Legolas had reached Fangorn. As the line of trees greeted him, he felt odd. Like there was an odd presence here. By mid afternoon, he was deep in the south western part of the forest and decided to stop for a drink at a small pond and allow Alassea to rest. As he dismounted the wind whistled in the trees. That's when he saw her. An Elven woman clad in a beautiful white grown stood by one of the trees. Legolas blinked. How had she sneaked up on him? He was about to speak when she spoke in elvish.
"Legolas, I see you have come." Legolas nodded his head. This was the voice of who he had communicated with. She had long golden coloured hair and as Legolas looked into her eyes, he could see thousands of years of wisdom.
"Where is Akila?" He asked. So he had not communicated with the dragon, but an elf.
The she-elf turned and pointed towards the Misty Mountains.
"Go. You haven't much time." This jolted Legolas.
"What do you mean?" Was Akila hurt? The she-elf didn't answer him.
"Only you can help her remember." Legolas opened his mouth to speak, when the elf disappeared behind a tree. He let Alassea rest a bit longer, then headed towards the Misty Mountains again. When they came into view, the sun began to rise on a new day. As Alassea picked her way around stones at the base of the mountain, Legolas looked up. There had to be a cave or somewhere that Akila would possibly be. Alassea suddenly stopped. They stood in front of a cave. It was huge, and dark. Legolas wished he had a torch or a lamp, but he did not. He dismounted and thought of leaving Alassea outside, but decided to lead her in. Complete darkness enveloped him and the horse as they entered, and he stopped to let his eyes a just. Then he continued deeper into the cave.
Legolas had been walking, for how long he couldn't tell, when he heard a noise. It sounded like a trickling stream. Then he saw light at the end of the tunnel and sped up. Alassea gently pulled on the reins as Legolas shielded his eyes. Legolas was nearly blinded as the bright light enveloped him. He could hear heavy breathing and he heard Alassea squeal and rear. He tried to hold on, but the reins slipped from his grasp and the horse bolted forward, but not out of the cave. His eyes adapted to the light and he blinked them. He they saw why Alassea had reared. The gold dragon stood no more then four feet in front of him. Beside the dragon stood the rider, still clad in silver armour. Legolas took a step back. Alassea stood off the right side of the cave, but she looked calm, almost curious. The horse was flaring her nostrils taking in the scents. The dragon continued to look at Legolas, but so did the rider. Oddly, Alassea was actually slowly walking toward the two. The dragon stepped off to the side and the horse walked just a foot from the silver clad elf. Legolas was extremely confused. Now the rider was looking at the horse. Alassea took another sniff and screamed with joy. She suddenly nuzzled her nose against the rider's chest and rest it there, almost smiling. A sudden thought came to Legolas' mind. Alassea would only do that to one person. He took a step forward.
"Akila?!" His voice was a cross between a whisper and a yell. The rider suddenly looked at him and put his hands on his helmet, then removed it and held it under his arm. Akila's face appeared from beneath the helm and her brown hair fell down to her shoulders. She looked confused.
"How do you know my name?"
"What are you talking about?" Legolas wanted to run up and hug her, but he didn't. Now he was the one who was confused. Then he remembered what the mysterious she-elf had said.
'Only you can help her remember.' It hit Legolas hard. She had lost her memory, she had most likely hit her head when she had disappeared not long ago.
"Akila you have to remember me." Legolas took another step forward.
"I am sorry Legolas." Akila looked shocked by her own words. "How did I know your name?" It was more of a question she was asking herself. Alassea's nose was now off her chest. The dragon stood off to the side and looked at Akila, and Akila looked back. She then shook her head. Legolas thought of some way to completely return her memory, she had remembered his name, but not him. What could possibly make her remember? Wait! But had he brought it? He put his hand into the pocket of his cloak and could feel the cool metal object. Her pendant. He walked towards her until he was arms length away from her. He held the pendant up. She looked at it then looked at him, and dropped her helmet. She took it and stared at it in her palm.
"I remember." She took a look at Legolas then at the pendant. "Thankyou Legolas." She then hugged him, and almost cried.
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