Tears In Heaven
Chapter One: Total Eclipse of the Heart
(Author: Jennzah)
Gandalf the wizard furrowed his brow.
He'd been searching for the home of his friends, Legolas and Jairah Greenleaf, for some time now. He knew they lived in the woods of Mirkwood, but he did not know exactly where their home was. Three years ago, they had left Rivendell with the intent on hiding themselves from the rest of the world, only for a short time.
A short time turned into three years, but then Gandalf had been visiting his friend Frodo Baggins, in the Shire, when a little butterfly had come to him, telling him that the two elves wished to see him. That had been about a month ago, and he had journeyed to Mirkwood to see them.
Now if he could only find where they lived! They had hidden themselves well. He doubted that even King Thranduil, Legolas' father, knew where they dwelt, though they had decided to stay in Mirkwood, in which both of them had been born.
After what seemed like the fifth circle he turned in, Gandalf felt a presence behind him, and he smiled. "Master Legolas," he said, turning. "How nice of you to turn up."
Legolas smiled back at him. "Having trouble, my friend?"
"Yes, it would seem so. You two are impossible to find!" Gandalf extended his hand to Legolas and they shook hands, then embraced briefly.
"How do you fare?" Gandalf said, as they started walking.
Legolas beamed. "I am quite well, my friend. Happy."
"And what of your wife? How does she fare?" Gandalf asked, his eyes twinkling.
"She is well, radiant. You will soon be able to ask her yourself how she is." Legolas stopped underneath a thicket of trees, and looked up.
Gandalf looked up as well. Right above him, he saw nothing but leaves. But he knew better.
"Master Legolas, i have been past this thicket FIVE times today. Not once did you come down to stop me from going past it??" Gandalf asked playfully.
"Oh, come now, Gandalf," came a female voice. "What would have been the fun in that?"
"Lady Jairah," Gandalf said. Her voice had come to him in his head. "Your wife seems to think that it was some sort of game." He said to Legolas, whose eyes twinkled.
"She wondered how long it would take you to find us, and then sent me after you. "
"You have hidden yourselves well, there is no question." Gandalf smiled again.
"Legolas, bring him up." Jairah's voice came from up in the trees.
Legolas looked at Gandalf, then sprang up into the trees. Gandalf followed, floating himself up with the power of his mind and staff.
Through the leaves, high up in the trees, was their home. Gandalf couldn't believe his eyes, it reminded him greatly of Lothlorien, though not as expansive. The house itself stretched over several trees, and was room enough for the two of them.
"My friend, i am impressed." Gandalf said. "Did you build this yourselves?"
Legolas nodded as they walked to the door. He opened it, and Gandalf and he entered.
"Gandalf!" Jairah's voice preceded her as she came down the stairs to greet him. Only her face was visible over the high railing of the staircase.
She ran to him, a blur, and threw her arms around his neck and embraced him.
"Lady Jairah! How lovely to see you!" he said and as she pulled away, he took a good look at her.
She looked exactly the same as the day she and Legolas had been married. Her long blonde hair was twisted away from her face in the front and made to hang down long in the back. She wore a deep green dress on her little frame. Gandalf noticed that her belly was swollen, and smiled at her.
"A child?" he asked the both of them, as Legolas went around to pull Jairah into his arms.
Jairah's eyes shined at him as she nodded. "Soon, too." she said. "Oh, Gandalf. Im so glad to see you!"
"And I you two. I had thought that you two had gone over the sea, or vanished completely. Our friends ask of you."
Gandalf looked at the two elves, who stood with their arms around eachother, and felt their happiness. But he also sense some troubled feelings in the air, coming from Jairah. He pushed the thoughts aside and listened to her as she spoke again.
"Of course, we didn't intend to be away for so long. Thats just how it worked out. We travelled after we were married, a little. But we have been here for a long time. We are sorry to frighten you, and our friends."
Gandalf smiled. "I am sure they will forgive you. and they will rejoice in the new life you carry, Jairah."
The smile on Jairah's face dimmed a little, but she shook whatever thought she had in her head away. "I must admit, it came as a surprise to us." She looked at Gandalf, as Legolas released her and went to get some tea.
Gandalf came up to Jairah and took her face in his hands, and looked in her eyes.
"Something is amiss, Lady, " he said, tenderly. "I can feel it in you."
Jairah looked at him sadly. "Yes. But it is not to be talked of now, not right now." she whispered. "Later." she backed away as Legolas came back in.
They sat and talked long into the night, and then all retreated to rest. The next morning Gandalf came into their main room, to find Jairah staring out the window after Legolas as he went down into the woods.
"Jairah?" Gandalf said.
Jairah turned around and smiled. "Good morning, Gandalf!"
He smiled at her, then bade her to sit down. "Something is troubling you, Lady Jairah. Please. Tell me what it is."
Jairah sat down and then looked at Gandalf with small tears in her eyes.
"You are right. Legolas knows of this, but i wanted to talk to you about it, because you know more of magicks than him and i could possibly ever."
She stopped, and looked down at her stomach, rubbed it gently, and then contiuned. "I have had dreams of Reighn. Dreams of her and the shadows, in her time. I do not understand them. But i think that she is calling to me for help, and i do not know how to get to her. That is one of the things that troubles my mind."
Gandalf looked at her intently. "And the other?"
Jairah looked at him fearfully. "The other Legolas does not know of, though i am sure he feels it." She took Gandalfs hand and placed it on her swollen belly.
"Tell me, Gandalf, what do you feel?" She looked at him, her hand atop his on her belly.
Gandalf eyes widened, then closed as he concentrated on the life that grew inside of Jairah.
When he finally opened his eyes, he looked sadly at Jairah, who looked at him in fear.
"Something is wrong with our child, isn't there, Gandalf?" she said quietly.
Gandalf nodded sadly. "I was afraid of this, Lady Jairah." he said sullenly.
Jairah looked at him expectantly. "Tell me, please, Gandalf. I must know."
Gandalf didnt want to tell her, he was sure it would break her heart, but he continued. "Jairah, your child will be born dead."
Jairah froze in her chair, tears coming into her eyes. "But, why? I did not think that something was that wrong, only that the child might be sick in some way....."
Gandalf rose from his chair and walked to the window. "You were taken by the Dark Lord, and tortured by him. You were touched by him. No being that is touched by the Dark Lord can bear life." he turned and looked at her again, she was still sitting in the chair. "You were lucky to come back alive from that. The life you carry will grow to a certain point, and then die inside of you."
Jairah had tears streaming down her face. "How cruel of the Dark Lord to do this to me. To Legolas! He is so happy, he wants a son. or a daughter, it does not matter. How can i tell him that we will never have children?"
Gandalf placed a hand on her head. "We must tell him. Then i will perform a healing spell to take the child out of you, and to save you both from any further grief."
Jairah nodded at him, though she still cried. And at that moment, Legolas returned.
He immedately went over to Jairah, and knelt before her. She had not cried in so long and it brought immediate worry and fear to his heart. He looked up at Gandalf as he kissed her hands.
"Gandalf? What has happened?" Legolas looked at him expectantly.
Gandalf didnt know where to begin, so he just came out and said it. "Legolas, the child your wife carries, it will die."
Legolas looked at him with large eyes. "How do you know this?" he asked.
"She was touched by the Dark Lord. No soul that is touched by the Dark Lord can ever wield life from it again. The child will die inside of her." Gandalf touched his shoulder. "I am sorry, my friend."
Legolas looked heartbroken. He stared off for a minute before he turned back to his crying wife. "Shh, love, it is alright." He kissed her cheek and held her tightly, looking back at Gandalf.
"What do we do?" He said, cradling Jairah as she cried.
"I will perform a spell to take the child out of her, for i am certain it is already dead. Then i will perform a spell so that grief such as this will not happen to the both of you again."
Legolas stared at him for a minute before speaking again. "So she will not ever be able to bear children?"
Gandalf shook his head. "No, my friend. The life will only die inside of her. It is not her fault. I will fix it so this will not happen to you again, so this sort of pain can be spared." He looked at Jairah who was sobbing into Legolas' arms. "I am sorry," he said again.
Legolas rose off the floor and picked Jairah up. He kissed her again as he led Gandalf up the stairs into their bed room, and laid Jairah out on their bed, so Gandalf could perform the spells.