Thranduil

Legolas

The son of Thranduil, and so a prince of the Woodland Realm in the northeast of Mirkwood, Legolas was descended from the Sindar, but counted himself one of the Silvan people. The date of his birth is not known, but he seems to have been several thousand years old at the time of the War of the Ring.² Of his life before the end of the Third Age, we know almost nothing. During Bilbo's adventures on his journey to Erebor, he spent several weeks in Thranduil's halls, and later encountered the entire army of the Wood-elves. It seems more than likely, then, that he would have encountered Legolas at this time, but if the two ever met, the fact is nowhere recorded.

He entered history proper on 25 October III 3018. Travelling westward to Rivendell as a messenger of his father, he was called to attend the Council of Elrond, where he reported the escape of Gollum. Afterwards, he was selected to join the Fellowship of the Ring as the representative of the Elves. He accompanied the Fellowship on its long journey into the south, following Gandalf and (after Gandalf's fall in Moria) Aragorn until the breaking of the Fellowship beneath Amon Hen.

After the division of the Fellowship, Legolas travelled with Aragorn and Gimli in their chase across Rohan in search of Merry and Pippin. Eventually their trail led them to Fangorn Forest (which enchanted Legolas to the extent that he would later revisit it with Gimli after the War). There, they discovered that the Hobbits were safe, and that Gandalf had returned as Gandalf the White. The Wizard led them to Edoras to meet with Théoden, whom he cured of Saruman's baleful influence. For a time after this, Legolas fought alongside the Men of Rohan. At the Battle of the Hornburg, he slew at least thirty-nine of the enemy, by his own count.

After journeying through Rohan, Aragorn elected to take the Paths of the Dead, and Legolas accompanied him, along with a company now swollen with Dúnedain out of the north and the sons of Elrond. With this Grey Company, Legolas travelled through the darkness beneath the White Mountains, where Aragorn made alliance with the Shadow Host, and then on through the southern lands of Gondor to Pelargir. There, Legolas fought alongside the Dead Men as they captured a Corsair fleet. In that battle he first heard the crying of gulls, and it awoke the Sea-longing, filling him with the desire to take ship into the West.

From Pelargir, he sailed aboard the captured fleet to the Harlond, the docks south of Minas Tirith, and he fought alongside Aragorn in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. After the battle, he again followed Aragorn to the hopeless diversionary assault on the Gates of Mordor, and so was present at the downfall of Sauron.

During the War of the Ring, Legolas had formed a great friendship with Gimli the Dwarf, a remarkable thing between two races that normally held profound mistrust for one another. After the War, they journeyed together, visiting Aglarond and Fangorn Forest before travelling to their homes in the north. Soon, though, Legolas and Gimli returned into the south with many of their kindred. Legolas and his Elves of Mirkwood settled in the land of Ithilien, and it came to be called the fairest of all the western lands.

Legolas remained in Ithilien until the death of Aragorn in IV 120. At that time, he gave in to the Sea-longing that had awoken long beforehand at Pelargir, and sailed out into the Great Sea and away from Middle-earth. Legend tells that he took his great friend Gimli with him into the West.