Here is a oneshot written in honor of the amazingly wonderful WriterGirl7673! This fabulous person was incredibly supportive of me, so I'm writing this for her! I hope you enjoy, girl!
To all you other readers, I hope you enjoy, too!
Takes place after the War of the Ring , but before the marriage of Arwen and Aragorn.
...
Amidst the great white walls of Gondor, a garden was held.
The garden had long since shriveled and died, and was bereft of life and green, leaving nothing but greyed husks of once vibrant plants. The lush earth had become a wasteland, and to walk through the colorless place was a weight on one's heart, for it was a great loss of beauty.
It is here that our story is set, for there was an elf within those forgotten gardens, and he was determined to bring the colors of life and nature to the city of stone once more. No longer would the great vast of green trees and blooming flowers be a thing of memory, but real and there for all to see.
Of this he was sure.
(He was, after all, a wood elf.)
Legolas Thranduilion stood from his crouched position, where he had been inspecting the various seeds he had collected for his revival efforts. They all seemed to be good and hearty, and Legolas was grateful; he would need every little miracle to complete the momentous task ahead of him, for restoring the Queen's garden before the Lady Arwen arrived would not be easy.
The sound of deep grumblings and heavy footfalls met the keen ears of the elf, and Legolas could not help but grin as he merrily spinned on his heel to greet the owner of said sounds.
"Gimli!"
"Don't you 'Gimli' me, elf! I am not above breaking out my axe!"
Those of stouter hearts would cower at the glare being leveled at him, but Legolas merely laughed and grabbed the crate of tools from the dwarf's hands, for he was far too joyful in his task to be put down by something as simple as a death threat.
Balancing the smaller crate that held the precious seeds on top of the crate with tools, the blonde walked further into the gardens, calling over his shoulder as he did so, "You are just sour because you lost our bet!"
"Shove off, elf!"
The words might have been taken more seriously if Gimli had not taken Legolas' load as he said it, or if Gimli's lips had not twitched upwards into a traitorous smile, or if his eyes did not fill with silent laughter at the archer's antics… But it could not be helped, for the blonde's enthusiasm was contagious.
Together they ambled to the center of the gardens, one tall and fair and practically dancing through the air, the other short and stout and heading forwards with sure and steady strides. Two opposites that somehow managed to become friends despite it all…
And the elf chattered on, his hands waving in grand gestures as he described his vision to the dwarf, bringing to life towering trees bearing delicious fruits and waves upon waves of delicate flowering blossoms spreading over the land, bringing about a fragrance in the air. He placed long clusters of climbing ivy upon the walls and small bushes filled with the sweetest berries lining the paths. With only his words, he brought the land to life once more, and one could almost see the nature all around them.
And then Legolas went silent, his mouth finally running out of words, and stilled. The vision faded into but a dream once more, leaving behind nothing but a wasteland that held no greenery nor beauty, only cold stone walls and a never ending terrain filled with long-dead weeds.
The blonde's face crumpled, and sadness reflected deeply in his blue eyes, for the loss of so much nature tore at his heart, even if it was a long time since the loss had occurred. Suddenly, the barrenness struck him, and he looked on with despair, for how was a lone elf meant to cure such a place?
A single warm hand on his arm startled him from his thoughts, and he looked down at the dwarf who gazed up in concern. Upon seeing his face, Gimli gave a small smile and said, "Come now, laddie, new plants will grow… I thought you were going teach me about all those seeds of yours? Unless you're no longer up for it?"
No, he reminded himself, not completely alone.
The axe-bearer had correctly guessed his thoughts, and upon hearing the gruff words he smiled too, for what had been said was true in every extent; new things would grow, and the life of nature would return once more to the city of Gondor.
With new determination, the elf leaned down and picked up the crate of seeds- Gimli had placed his load on the ground upon noticing that Legolas had stopped- and shook his head at his friend, happiness gracing his face once again.
"I am fine Gimli, let us continue on!"
And so they went- tall and fair and short and stout- the blonde humming softly to himself. That was, until his keen eyes spotted something in the distance, then a gasp escaped his throat and he broke off into a sprint, leaving the dwarf far behind.
By the time that Gimli had caught up- huffing and panting and cursing the flightiness of elves- the archer was on his knees, his eyes alight with wonder and his movements filled with a type of innocent awe that should have long since been lost to him.
(It was times like these that Gimli marveled at the elf, for how could one so old and experienced be so young and naive at the same time?)
For there in front of him, held in his gentle grasp, was a single green sproutling. Even as the dwarf watched, the plant seemed to stand itself taller and straighter, grow more lush and vibrant and healthy. Gimli blinked, but then he shook his head.
Elves.
"Is it not beautiful, Gimli?"
Now, the axe-bearer was not one to find beauty in nature. He was a dwarf, his expertise lied in gems and stone, he found beauty by making beauty with his craft.
But still… He supposed there was something beautiful in the scene. For there was the sprout- so small and fragile, but there- standing alive and green in stark contrast to the world around it, a piece of hope amidst the despair.
And so he agreed, watching as his friend glanced up at him, the blue orbs shining with the purest of joys.
It is strange how such simple things make the elf so very happy…
But then Legolas was taking his free hand and insistently pulling him further into the gardens, his own precious cargo tucked under his arm. The blonde had regained his excitement for his self-assigned task at the sight, and a new conviction was firmly set in place.
"Come, Gimli! We must get to work!"
And he let himself be dragged, a deep laughter bubbling up from his throat at the elf's impatience.
They worked long and hard that day, and they worked long and hard for many days afterwards. Sometimes Aragorn or the hobbits would come to join them, sometimes a group of local men would help out, and sometimes they worked alone, but it mattered not.
Soon enough, the gardens were alive and filled with greenery once more, delicate young shoots sprouting from the ground under the tender care of the wood elf and the dwarf.
And as the green things grow, their friendship blossomed and cemented into a dazzling creation that none could compare to, for it was far too colorful and bright to surpass.
And as the green things grow, new bonds amidst the peoples of Gondor were forged, and all watched in admiration as the garden came into its own.
And as the green things grow, it was not an uncommon sight to see someone on the streets to just stop and breathe, for at last the fragrance of nature could tease their noses and fly free through the city.
As the green things grow….
As the green things grow.
...
Thank you WriterGirl7673 for being so amazing and encouraging. I really hope this was to your satisfaction.
I hope you all enjoyed, and thank you for taking the time to read As The Green Things Grow. :D
- The Mashpotatoe Queen