Stuck
by: WhiteGloves
Just something for them both haha...
Aragorn stared at the tiny spots on the dark sky that kept twinkling brightly down at him like winking little fairies. It would have been lovely to watch the stars under a tree with soft wind whispering and blowing on his ears, while silently listening to small insects that hums on the bushes around. It would have been- had it been the case. Unfortunately it wasn't.
For one thing, he was lying flat on his back and indeed, under the stars- but there were no trees present half a mile near him. The wind was blowing on his ears and face but with a mixture of something salty in it. There were no hums of any close insect but sound of waves hitting the little vessel he was in.
So that was where he was that moment: stuck in a small boat.
He was on a floating boat in the middle of an ocean with no inkling where in Middle Earth he was. He had been there for eight hours straight with nothing to do but stare at the sky for there were no visible island anywhere.
He was doomed. He knew that all along anyway, he just didn't expect to be doomed sooner.
"Doom." he sighed under his breath as he closed his eyes and laid still on his back with arms under his head.
"Why so, mellon nin?"
Aragorn opened his eyes and saw the stars twinkle once more. He had almost forgotten- he was not alone.
"We're stuck." the man quietly answered without looking around. "Sign of doom's day."
"Not quite, in my opinion."
Aragorn snorted. "Legolas, look at us! We're stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no one to help- in the middle of the dark- how can you still say we're not doomed yet."
The man could swear he heard his friend sigh patiently.
"Because we aren't."
"Suit yourself." the man muttered crossly as he stared at the bright stars and wishing its warmth and shine would reach him.
"Well, Aragorn," Legolas said after a moment, "that is hardly a good manner to display to someone who had jumped in here when he saw the waves taking you."
The man flinched a little as he remembered how his elven friend jumped from the shore with all the strength he could muster to the small boat that had started to be swept away by the strong waves and felt embarrass. He was the one who insisted on boarding the small vessel after all. Legolas refused at first and said he never wanted to hear the cry of the gulls* ahead that would call him to go on the West, but when he saw his friend in grave danger he set aside all his fears.
Aragorn muttered a quiet apology.
"Nay, forget it." was the elf's silent answer. Legolas was seated near the man's foot and seemed to be contemplating the whole moment. They have been together on the small boat ever since that afternoon, not expecting to end that way when the waves turned against them. Legolas had been silent since they had lost sight of the mountains.
"Legolas," Aragorn started again with a gentler tone, "Just look at the stars... their brightness amaze me... in this dark they are our only sanctuary."
"Mmm..." was all his friend's answer.
"If this is not dooms day, then I admit, it would probably because of these stars... I have never seen anything exceptionally heartwarming."
"I guess you are right." answered the elf simply.
The man flexibly brought himself up and started at Legolas, ready to share the feeling he was having by just seeing the wonderful light of the small spots above them. Instead of seeing his friend, Aragorn saw a shining figure before him and had to stare. Legolas was glowing in the dark, like a light of hope in the emptiness around him. This glow of the elf almost made the man feel as if he had the stars on arms reach... only much bigger and brighter.
Legolas blinked at him and tilted his head on one side.
"What is the matter?" was the elf's quiet voice. Aragorn realized that the elf was uncomfortable, judging by the way he was holding his knuckles white. Probably for being in the middle of the ocean. Why didn't he even had the damn to check on his friend?
"Aye, so foolish of me." the man stood up and lightly crossed the distance between him and his elven friend, and then sat on his side. "I just thought how foolish I've been... for looking at the wrong direction."
"Ah?" Legolas raised both eyebrows and then smiled with a clear look of confusion.
"Where do yo think the waves would take us?" the man wanted to know.
"I have no idea, but I hope its not too far from our borders..."
"That's just it. Where in Middle Earth do we find an ocean as big as this?"
The Elf giggled. "Beats me..."
Aragorn felt his friend relax beside him and was satisfied. He stared up at the sky again and decided that yes, it wasn't doom's day after all.
He was stuck, but he was with his friend.
It was a good thing to know that someone was there for him, even on the darkest hour of his life. Someone that would shine ever so bright for him in the middle of nowhere.
He don't need stars, he needed his friend.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Back at Imladris, however, Lord Elrond was startled by his twins who came bustling on the doorway to see him.
"Ada, Aragorn is still not back!" Elladan called.
"Neither is Legolas!" piped Elrohir.
The Elf Lord's eyes visibly widened as he tried to recall something that afternoon... why he forbade his youngest son to go on exploring the mountain side just after he recovered from a recent injury. When he realized the man disobeyed him and sneaked out with the prince alongside he made up his mind. That afternoon he felt Aragorn walking near the water bank... and there was this boat...the man seemed trying to get on it. An idea came up to the Elf Lord as he felt the calm waves of the river. Why not control the river and keep his son in the middle of the ocean? Yes, only for an hour at least... So in order to teach him a lesson he, the Elf Lord, controlled the water and sent the boat away... but he planned to teach him a lesson only... he didn't plan to forget about bringing them back to the shore... how could he forget about the man and the Elf Prince? And where are they now?
Elrond stared blankly on a space, until Elladan and Elrohir were standing next to his table.
"Ada?" Elladan called uncertainly.
"You look pale, ada." commented Elrohir.
The Elf Lord stared back at his twin sons and squared his shoulders. With discipline only a wise Elf had, he put his arms gently on the table, touch the tip of each of his fingers together, and then stared fixedly at the twins.
"Elladan, Elrohir," he started so quietly that made the two elves nervous, "I seemed to have forgotten something..."
THE END
*cry of the gulls*
Legolas' Song of the Sea
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;
For our days are ending and our years falling.
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.
Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,
Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,
In Eressëa, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,
Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!
Thanks for Reading!