Title: The Road to Paradise 7-10/ ?
Author: Dane
Type: RPS
Email: writerdane@yahoo.com 
Pairing: Aragorn/ Legolas
Rating: R
Summary: AU. After Legolas’ disappearance, half of the remaining 
fellowship come fore him in Prince Imrahil’s fiefdom. A few elves from 
Lindon offer their support.
Series: Yes
Archive: Dimension of Dhvana, Of Elves and Men, Melethryn, Library of 
Moria
Disclaimer: None of this is real. All the characters mentioned came from the 
brilliant mind of J.R.R. Tolkien, thus I cannot claim them as my own. 
Authors Note: The elves from Lindon are of my own creation. For those in 
the list of Dimension of Dhvana, the elves are Cuner (Colin), Arandur 
(Stuart), Mirimon (Charles or Charlie), and Taurnosto (Ewan). You know 
who they are.

Part 7: New Introductions

	Following behind the guard, Cuner of Lindon studied the castle of the 
Prince with a critical. The architecture and the interiors were obviously 
influenced by elvish design, possibly of Lothlorien, and of Numenorean 
ingenuity. The furniture, however, were unique to this region of Middle-
Earth. Blue Marble and ivory dominated the palace, reflecting the affinity of 
the fiefdom to the sea. They passed a large banner with a white swan on a 
blue field, which the elf Lord thought as the flag representing the Belfalas. 
Their stopped inside the audience chamber and the page bowed before 
leaving. 

	As the three elves from Lindon waited, the storm outside raged on. 
Looking out of the window, Arandur saw a party of horsemen riding into the 
city and one of they carried a man into the rear entrance of the castle. 
Somehow, that sight caused a sense of foreboding in the healer. He turned 
away from the window and chuckled slightly as his cousin Cuner plainly told 
their much younger charge Mirimon to behave and to act not so awed with 
everything. The coaching was interrupted by the arrival of a regal individual, 
who sat at the throne of the audience hall. The three elves gathered and 
bowed appropriately.

	“Sire,” said Cuner diplomatically. “I am Lord Cuner, captain of the 
ship Weatherlight and Adviser to Lord Cirdan of Lindon. This is my second-
in-command, Lord Arandur. We are elves from the Grey Havens and are from 
the house of the Shipwright. We were sailing towards the delta of the River 
Anduin bound for Minas Tirith when the storm came and made us drift off 
course. Your city was the only harbor we could reach without further torment 
from the sea. We beg for your indulgence until the storm has passed and the 
sea has calmed.” Cuner bowed once more. “We ask for asylum, my lord.”

	The lord regarded them and bade them to stand. “I am Lord Elphir, 
son of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. I am sorry that my father is not here to 
greet you. We have a guest who was suddenly caught in the rainstorm in the 
forest of our borders.” He paused for a moment, thinking whether to reveal 
more or not. “You are welcome to stay in Dol Amroth until the winds have 
passed and maybe you will stay longer and enjoy our hospitality. Please tell 
your squire to tell your crew to come to the palace and refresh themselves. 
My father’s seneschal will meet them at the front gate.”

	“Mirimon,” said Cuner. “Run back and tell the crew to do as what 
Lord Elphir had just said.” The young elf had to stop himself from lingering 
as he sprinted out of the hall and to the Weatherlight.

	“Dinner will be served in an hour. Would you do me the honor of 
joining my father and I at the table or would you prefer to rest until the 
morrow?” asked the eldest of Imrahil.

	“I think we will refresh ourselves and join you, our hosts for this 
evening,” said Cuner. “We thank you for your hospitality.”

	“It is no burden for a fellow sailor who is in need of a safe harbor,” 
replied Elphir. He signaled for a page to approach. “Simion will lead you to 
your room. He will come by later and lead you to the dining hall. If you will 
excuse me, I have to tend to our other guest to see if he will be well enough to 
join us later.” They bowed to each other in respect and parted ways. 

Part 8: Dinner with Prince Imrahil

	Prince Imrahil, though tired and weary from his visit to the healing 
halls of the castle, met with his other guests at supper with graciousness. 
Beforehand, father and son debated on whether them should reveal the 
presence of the ‘other guest’ to the Lindon elves and found it prudent to do as 
such.

	Being a good host, Imrahil chose the appropriate moment to ask 
questions. “Lord Cuner, would you happen to have a healer among your 
entourage?”

	Cuner and Arandur looked at each other and raised their eyebrows at 
that query. The elven Lord turned to their host and said, “We do, your 
highness. Arandur here is a skilled healer beyond reproach. He was trained by 
Lord Elrond of Imladris himself. But why would you need his services? I am 
assuming that there are healers in your employment.”

	“Our healers have little skill against the ailments of our ‘other guest’. 
As what Elphir had told you earlier, he was caught in the storm as he has been 
living in the exposed environments of a forest, which lie on our eastern 
borders. Our best healers are dealing with him this very moment but with 
limited success.”

	“Why are they having such trouble in healing him?” asked Arandur, 
guessing that the man that was carried into the castle earlier was the guest 
they were talking about in the conversation.

	“Because he is an elf,” the Prince answered. This earned a surprised 
gaze by his dinner guests. “More importantly, he is one of the Nine Walkers 
who ventured out of Rivendell and defeated the will of Sauron. Basically, 
they lack the knowledge required to heal him in his state.”

	It took but a moment for the implication to be realized. Shock clearly 
inflected the voice of Cuner when he heard this. “Sire! You can’t mean that 
Prince Legolas Thranduilion is here?!?! What is he doing here in Dol 
Amroth? Last we heard, he was at Minas Tirith, the place where we are 
headed for the council.”

	Imrahil drank some of his wine and sighed when he placed it on the 
table. “That is another matter which I wish to discuss. Why the Prince left the 
company of his friends is a mystery. He was found by a search party who was 
looking for the source of this singer whose voice echoed through the land. 
They found Legolas in the farthest forest along the eastern border of Belfalas, 
naked as the day he was born. He does not recall much. He remembers names 
and some associations with them, but he does not recollect any personal 
relation to them. I tried to bring him back here but he refused to leave the 
woods he claimed as his own garden. When the storm came, he was injured 
by a tree that was struck by lightning, and was brought immediately to the 
capable hands of my healers.” The Prince of Dol Amroth then retold what has 
passed since the discovery of Legolas in the woods on the eastern border, 
which was dubbed as ‘Paradise Forest’ by the soldiers who saw the 
blossoming trees and the magnificent flora of the place. 

	“The song, what was the song like, your highness?” asked Arandur, 
pondering on a profile on which to work on the Mirkwood Prince.

	“It was a lament if I ever heard one. It was so full of sadness and 
despair that my people stopped their occupations and listened to its 
melancholy. It was a dirge, I think. A song of someone who mourns his loss, 
of one who wants to forget,” Imrahil told the healer.

	Arandur thought for a long while as his cousin, Cuner, simulated all 
the possibilities as to why Legolas was here. Elphir took the time to study the 
elves further and the Prince waited for their reply. 

	“Take me to the Prince,” Arandur said succinctly and was promptly 
led to the healing halls by their host.

Part 9: The Strange Case of Legolas Greenleaf

	Arandur took his time examining the symptoms of the unconscious 
elf. The injuries caused by the tree were treatable and they would mend in a 
week. Probing the prince’s psyche was a different matter all together. The 
elven healer felt the fractures and the mental blocks in his patient’s mind. 
There was also evidence of self-hypnosis, which he surmised as the cause of 
the blocks. A wry expression filled his face when he reached his conclusions.

	“Sire,” started the healer, “when the storm clears, can you spare 
someone to accompany a few of my crew to investigate Legolas’ last 
location? There are a few questions that I need answered as to why the prince 
is in such a condition.” The Prince of Dol Amroth nodded.

	“What is your theory then as to why is he like this?” asked Cuner who 
stood nearby with Imrahil.

	“There is indication of self-hypnosis and some amnesia in his psyche. 
His mind is incomplete, making him almost child-like in a certain sense,” 
Arandur hypothesized. 

	“How in the world would you know that?” questioned Imrahil. “The 
prince hasn’t woken up, yet you know his state of mind.”

	“It’s a special gift given by the Valar. Leaders and healers among the 
Noldor have this ability to peek into the mind of individuals. Mostly, we 
respect the privacy of people and do not use the gift unless it is called for. In 
instances like this, we check for damage in the mind of patients. This is the 
gift of the mind that elves like Lord Elrond, the Lady Galadriel, and myself 
have. We use it to communicate over far distances and to peer into the hidden 
depths of others. It gives use great empathy and foresight. With the gift, we 
help our kin to heal their hurts where no wound is present. It is known as Far-
Speech among our kind.”

	“To have such a gift would be a great advantage, indeed,” said 
Imrahil. “It is no wonder that Elrond is greatly respected and the Golden Lady 
of the Wood is feared.”

	Cuner grinned and helped his cousin mix the healing potions for the 
prone elf. “Well, between the three of us, they need to keep up appearances. 
If most Men saw half of the wonders of the Elven realms, we elves wouldn’t 
know a single day of peace. I know Lord Elrond has enough trouble fostering 
the children of the Dunedain and their hi-jinks are enough to ruin the 
reputation of Rivendell. Elrond and Galadriel need to be firm to maintain 
their authority otherwise their domain would be overrun with vagrants and 
troublemakers.”

	“You forget about the twins, my cousin,” said Arandur as he trickled 
one of the potions down Legolas’ throat.

	“Let’s not mention them at all. The trouble those two can cause is 
enough to scare Sauron off Middle-earth if they ever encounter each other. I 
pity their mates who will have to put up with them.” All three of them 
laughed.

	As they continued their conversation, a page entered the room with 
barely restrained excitement.

	“My liege! The King is the palace!”


Part 10: The Arrival of the King Elessar

	Aragorn planned to leave for Dol Amroth with only himself and his 
companions, Mithrandir and Gimli, but Faramir disagreed with him 
vehemently. To appease his steward, he prepared a group of twenty riders to 
go with him. When Pippin heard of the immediate journey, he packed a few 
items quickly and joined them, much to Gandalf’s exasperation. 

	As Aragorn led the riders, they rode swiftly with the White Wizard on 
his right and Gimli on a young gelding on his left. Pippin rode with the King 
as they sped through the land towards the Land of the Swan Knights. They 
were about ten leagues away from Dol Amroth when the storm struck.

	“The wind is getting stronger. The horses are frightened to go any 
further, my liege,” shouted the captain of the guards that accompanied the 
King.

	“Mithrandir!” yelled Aragorn over the howling wind with Pippin 
holding tight to his arm. “Can you do anything to ease up the horses?”

	At that, Gandalf snorted. “My power my have been much diminished 
by the loss of Narya’s power, but I’m still a wizard with many resources.” He 
lifted his staff and calmed the wind around them. The pounding rain receded 
into a light fall and the agitated steeds were reassured by the weaving magic 
of the wizard. The King sighed and followed Gandalf’s lead. Like the horses, 
the soldiers with them were set at ease. Gimli merely gruffed and told his 
pony to go on galloping.

	The surprise visit of the King sent the entire palace of Prince Imrahil 
into an uproar. The Prince ran quickly into the audience hall and respectfully 
bowed to him, along with son and Lord Cuner.

	“Cuner?” said Aragorn with obvious surprise. “You are a long way 
from the Gray Havens, my friend. What are you doing here?” They clasped 
each other’s shoulders in greeting and allowed Imrahil to lead them into the 
dining hall where an impromptu meal was set for the new arrivals. “I suspect 
that you were caught in the storm and found safe harbor here. Our company 
was surprised by it ourselves and we hastened our flight here for shelter.”

	The Adviser from Lindon smiled as they settled into the chairs they 
were occupying earlier. “You are correct on our being stranded upon these 
hospitable shores. We were adrift for hours to reach land safely. Thank the 
Valar our ship wasn’t damaged for it is our only means of transportation to 
your city for I am the representative of Lord Cirdan in the upcoming council 
in your capital, Estel,” he said, relishing the fact that he knew the King of 
Men when he was still a boy who used to hide behind Elrond robes when the 
twins, Elladan and Elrohir, were mad at him. The King chuckled at his old 
name that the elves gave to him as a child. “Cirdan could not be here for he 
sails to Valinor with another set of our kin. He sends his congratulations on 
you achieving your destiny, King of Men.”

	“I return the sentiment. I can see from your attire that I’m not the only 
one who attained some elevation of status. The last I have seen you, you were 
but a humble scribe in Cirdan’s court.”

	Cuner laughed heartily, though with a trace of bittersweet heaviness. 
“It helps when some of the councilors and their families have heeded the call 
of the West and sailed away to the Undying Lands. My position now is only 
next to Cirdan’s seneschal.”
	
	“It’s about time the High Ruler of Lindon awarded you for such 
faithful service,” commented Aragorn. “Are you alone in this endeavor with 
stout sailors as your companions or do you have someone traveling with you 
in this diplomatic mission of yours?”

	“Nay, I’m not alone. My kinsman, a healer in the Shipwright’s 
service, travels with me. He is at present tending to a patient that the Prince 
has requested to look onto.”

	A serious grim expression suddenly filled the face of the troubled 
King and it was mirrored among those who were with him in the fellowship. 
“If it is our friend Legolas of the Woodland realm, can you please lead us to 
his bedside? We want to see if he is well.”

	Imrahil who stood apart now reasserted his presence. “Not at this 
moment, Elessar, though I think the added expertise of Mithrandir would 
benefit Legolas. I think it would better if we explain to all of you what has 
transpired before any of you see him. I will not lie and say that he is well. He 
is suffering a malady of the mind, as what was told to us by Lord Arandur.”

	A lengthy explanation then dominated the discussion about Legolas. 
When Gandalf heard about the Mirkwood Prince’s initial state of being, he 
made his excuses to see him in the healing wards. Gimli muttered under his 
breathe on how reckless Legolas was while Pippin felt concerned and wanted 
to sneak off to find him, but Aragorn caught him before his attempt could be 
made. Throughout the conversation with Imrahil and Cuner, the King’s guilt 
ate at his soul. When Gandalf returned with a weary Arandur in tow, their 
grim faces told them that the situation was not as pleasant as Pippin would 
hope for.

	“The Prince is suffering from the after effects of doing the Ritual of 
Total Ablution,” said the wizard with sadness. The elven healer confirmed it 
by nodding his head.

	Being raised in the House of Elrond, Aragorn felt his veins freeze 
with fear. It was a ritual meant to erase the memories of elves who suffer 
from mental trauma. Celebrian would have undergone the ritual if she didn’t 
forbid it even after much pleading from her husband and children. Often, it 
was given to those who are in danger of fading. The down side of this method 
was that the one who experienced the ordeal would forget everything, leaving 
the elf infantile and innocent of the ways of the world. Pain struck the King’s 
heart in the knowledge that his warrior elf has deliberately forgotten about 
him.

	“But, that is not all, I’m afraid,” said Arandur as he poured some wine 
for himself and the White Wizard. “It appears that he didn’t do the ritual 
properly.”

	“What do you mean that he didn’t do it properly?” asked Gimli, 
worried about his best friend. “Even among the dwarves, we have heard of 
this perilous process. My father’s acquaintance with the Elvenking Thranduil 
had told me as such. Thorin’s company of dwarves and Master Bilbo were 
told that his wife was given the treatment for she would have faded before 
boarding a ship to the Undying Lands.”

	Arandur frowned. “I would construe that the Prince learnt the ritual 
from the healer who tended his mother before she left. That would be the only 
explanation. Doing the ritual alone is reckless, but the consequences are done. 
The ritual left Legolas in an amnesiac state. He remembers much but he can’t 
relate to them. It is much like looking at your own life from another person’s 
point of view.”

	“What does that mean?” asked Pippin, who didn’t quite understand 
what was happening to his elven friend.

	“He recalls things that are part of his history, but after the failed 
attempt at the ritual, those memories are more like stories told to him by 
another person. They don’t hold any personal and significant meaning to him. 
A successful outcome would have him with a clean slate. This accident only 
delayed his passing into Mandos’ Halls. ”

	“There is a way to reverse the ritual, but it would be difficult and 
arduous task,” said Gandalf to those present. “We need the implements he 
used in the woods and, when the storm has passed, we must carry him to 
Minas Tirith. Isengard or Annuminas would be my other choices of where to 
cure him but the capital of the North is in ruin and I won’t bother mentioning 
our recent experiences in Orthanc. At least there, we have the support of 
Elrond and Galadriel when they arrive for the council.” He turned to Cuner 
with piercing eyes. “Lord Cuner, can we inconvenience you to taking a few of 
us with you on your ship? I’m afraid that taking him to the capital would only 
aggravate his condition.”

	“My ship is at your disposal, Mithrandir,” said Cuner in acquiescence. 

	Aragorn meandered in his thoughts and wondered in what the White 
Wizard would do to save his beloved elf that he wronged and hoped to make 
amends with. Only time would tell as they continued into the long raging 
night to discuss matters. 

TBC…