Like many LOTR fans, I find the relationship between Thranduil and Legolas intriguing. Perhaps my curiosity stems from the fact that so much that pertains to the King and the Prince of Mirkwood has been left to our imaginations. Certain questions tend to flit about in the back of my mind: Would Thranduil have once possessed a light-heartedness that faded as the threats to his realm increased? Would Legolas’ respect for his father’s ability to rule have diminished as Mirkwood grew darker? Such questions prompted me to write this collection, which present merely one possible interpretation of this father-son relationship.

In “Winter’s Frost”, I have Legolas standing in the Grey Havens. I was intentionally vague about why he was there; perhaps a friend was sailing or perhaps even his father. Because Legolas supposedly sailed down the Anduin when he left Middle Earth, I in no way wished to imply that he himself was leaving from the Grey Havens.