Legolas GreenleafBy "Koala Bear"
FOTR = The Fellowship of the Ring
The fate of Legolas after The Lord of the Rings As we all know, Legolas had tremendous loyalty towards his friends. Although
the following quote is actually from Treebeard in "The Return of the King",
I'm going to misappropriate it:
For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the
earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again. Legolas' ultimate 'doom' was foreshadowed in "The Return of the King": To Legolas she sent this word: Legolas Greenleaf long under tree Legolas appears to accept his fate: Legolas paused and sighed, and turning his eyes southward softly he
sang:
Silver flow the streams from Celos to Erui 'Green are those fields in the songs of my people; but they were dark
then, grey wastes in the blackness before us. And over the wide land,
trampling unheeded the grass and the flowers, we hunted our foes through
a day and a night, until we came at the bitter end to the Great River
at last.
'Then I thought in my heart that we drew near to the Sea; for wide
was the water in the darkness, and sea-birds innumerable cried on its,
shores. Alas for the wailing of the gulls! Did not the Lady tell me
to beware of them? And now I cannot forget them.' -- (from ROTK)
And now Legolas fell silent, while the others talked, and he looked
out against the sun, and as he gazed he saw white sea-birds beating
up the River.
'Look!' he cried. 'Gulls! They are flying far inland. A wonder they
are to me and a trouble to my heart. Never in all my life had I met
them, until we came to Pelargir, and there I heard them crying in the
air as we rode to the battle of the ships. Then I stood still, forgetting
war in Middle-earth; for their wailing voices spoke to me of the Sea.
The Sea! Alas! I have not yet beheld it. But deep in the hearts of all
my kindred lies the sea-longing, which it is perilous to stir. Alas!
for the gulls. No peace shall I have again under beech or under elm.'
'Say not so!' said Gimli. 'There are countless things still to see
in Middle-earth, and great works to do. But if all the fair folk take
to the Havens, it will be a duller world for those who are doomed to
stay.'
'Dull and dreary indeed!' said Merry: 'You must not go to the Havens,
Legolas. There will always be some folk, big or little, and even a few
wise dwarves like Gimli, who need you. At least I hope so. Though I
feel somehow that the worst of this war is still to come. How I wish
it was all over, and well over!' -- (from ROTK)
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying, And so singing Legolas went away down the hill. -- (from ROTK)
After the fall of Sauron After the fall of Sauron, Gimli brought south a part of the Dwarf-folk
of Erebor, and he became Lord of the Glittering Caves. He and his people
did great works in Gondor and Rohan. For Minas Tirith they forged gates
of _mithril _and steel to replace those broken by the Witch-king. Legolas
his friend also brought south Elves out of Greenwood, and they dwelt in
Ithilien, and it became once again the fairest country in all the westlands -- (from LOTR Appendices)
But when King Elessar gave up his life Legolas followed at last the
desire of his heart and sailed over Sea. Here follows one of the last
notes in the Red Book
We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Glóin's son with him
because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between
Elf and Dwarf. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf
should be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love, or that the Eldar
should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But
it is said that Gimli went also out of desire to see again the beauty of
Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained
this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter. -- (from LOTR Appendices)
1541 In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It
is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set beside the bed of
the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down
Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf.
And when that ship passed an end was come in the Middle-earth of the Fellowship
of the Ring. -- (from LOTR Appendices)
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