It is the 20th day of Iavas
In the 3018th year of the Sun
Of the Third Age of Middle-earth

Long have I been afield in the deeps of Mirkwood, and the autumn trees were touched with gold and red ere I returned yestereve to the Woodland Realm. Legolas and the hunters came home already at the waning of Summer, but I was not among their number; thus for an hour I stood before the carven throne of Thranduil Elvenking and endured his stern wrath and keen questioning of my sorry tale. And then for an hour more I knelt beside the grim grave of Gellin Dringoron, my father, and wept with sorrow.

I have since slept but I am yet weary; and though I have besought Îdh the Gentle, healer of hurts and of weariness, for her gift of rest, slumber will not enfold me and bring blissful silence to my memory. In the days upon days without count that I was gone much has passed, and while sleep witholds its comfort I shall use what daylight remains to record my news herein my chronicle, and -- I hope -- set my tangled thoughts in order...

Of the fateful night of Gollum's escape there has been much debate, but this much is now known to be true: the Orkish^[1] assault upon the Woodland Realm was plainly made for the rescue of that hapless creature, and he knew of it beforehand. But how that was contrived we cannot guess, but we fear that more is known of our doings than we could wish. And I recall the day when we first went forth with him in the hope of bringing comfort to his black thoughts, and were visited by a creban... in my heart I now deem it was a spy of the Enemy; no doubt, the first of many!

King Thranduil will send forth Legolas as a messenger to Imladris to bring this ill news to the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. But I wonder what part Gollum plays in the evil schemes of the Dark Lord of Mordor? Wherefore is he so prized to behove an assault upon our abode? None can tell, not even Teithoron, though he deems this is, in part, wherefore the king sends his son to Rivendell; not only to bring tidings to Lord Elrond, but to seek also his wise counsel.

But in the pursuit of the creature Gollum and the orcs that assailed our woodland folk, the Silvan hunters did not prevail. For we followed their trail southwards beyond the Emyn-nu-Fuin and over the Men-i-Naugrim, but erelong it escaped the skill of even Legolas; and he dared not continue the chase, for we were drawing nigh to Dol Guldur and that is still a very evil place.

But Delloril, wife of Echeleb and mother of Gellin my father, was among the company, and in her grief she would not forsake the search for her husband or her vengeance for the slaying of her son. Long she debated the judgement of Legolas to return home, and when he would not be swayed, she crept by stealth from our camp under cover of night; but she bade me follow her, for she knew my heart was also hot, and so together we stole deep into the southern forest, and found there a great host of orcs gathered as if preparing for war (and many other evil things besides.)

Through drear woods of dark fir we snuck, and over dank fens, and past the defiled ruins of the Silvan kingdom of Oropher that Delloril still knew of old; until beyond the desolation of that once fair land we descried the evil tower of Dol Guldur. For she guessed that the taken Wood-elves would have been brought thither as thralls of whatever dark power now dwelt therein, and it was her mind to contrive an escape for those prisoners, though a Shadow of malice and fear seeped forth from that benighted stronghold and weighed heavy upon our hearts and minds.

But alas! we were beset by wargs and Delloril perished in torment, giving her life to save my own! I hid and was undiscovered, and overborne by remorse and grief I lingered long till the Orcs and their foul beasts were gone. And where she fell I raised a cairn of stones over her broken body, and placed upon her breast an acorn from the Woodland Realm that ever I carry as a token of Ivann and to bless me with good fortune; and though it failed in this purpose, now one day a mighty oak shall grow there within the gloom in remembrance of my bold and valiant kinswoman.

And so it fell to me to fulfil our quest, but gazing at the fell fortress I understood then our folly, for not even we together could have hoped to breach its daunting defences! How could I therefore ever try to deliver Echeleb alone? Alas! my spirit quailed, and overcome by despair, I fled...

My journey home, alone without help or guidance, was long and arduous; but I need not recall here my perilous travails.

At first I put aside my grief while the swift chase lay before us and we were beset by peril... for there was no time then for tears of sorrow. But now I am at rest my grief is great and my loss cannot be mended. My spirit feels akin to the bare winter boughs of an ancient beech, no longer clad in the comfort of its glad summer leaves, but naked to the cold wind from the North. But the hatred that stirred within my heart has cooled to sadness, and I no longer desire vengeance (but nevermore shall I call the creature Gollum by his more gentle name, Sméagol!) Nay, that which I feel most of all is loneliness.

For while I was gone, by the skill of Amdirren, my mother, Tawardil and Gladhron were healed of their hurts; but though healed in body, they lost all delight in Middle-earth, and therefore they -- with not a few of my Green-elf clan -- have removed for the Havens to pass over the Sea and complete the Great Journey of the Elder Days. I am told that Legolas gave Delloril and me both up for lost, but in her heart my mother knew that I yet lived, and thus she lingered awaiting my return. But it is her desire also to depart, though she will not seek the pass over the Mountains of Mist whence Sîr Ninglor springs forth from the rock, as did my kin; for when Legolas goes forth as messenger to Imladris, it is the thought of Amdirren to travel thither with his company and thenceforth along the ancient Great Road to Mithlond. And I shall go with her.

For how shall I now find joy or mirth in Middle-earth? When all that I behold holds for me a remembrance of my father or of Echeleb; or of Gladhron and Tawardil and Reneth and Amathel; or of the last desperate stand of Delloril.

Alas, I can write no more. Sleep comes to me at last.

[1] " It should be spelt ork... but I had used the spelling orc in so many places that I have hesitated to change it in the English text, though the adjective is necessarily spelt orkish."
- Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings

Obviously, much of the detail herein is taken from Legolas' report to the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring.

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