Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or Arwen (the credit goes to JRR Tolkien there,) nor do I own Orlando Bloom, Viggo Morteson, or Liv Tyler. (If they are up on E-bay though, could someone let me know?) I do, however, own the plot bunnies that came up with this story, and I do own Ellowyn. PLEASE DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION! THAT IS CALLED STEALING AND/OR PLAGERIZING!! Thank you!
"No!" a little elf-girl cried, stepping backwards. Her long honey-gold hair swished behind her. "You are lying! Lying!" She continued stepping backwards until she was at the end of the room, her back pushed against a column.
"I wish I was," Aragorn said, slowly approaching her. His hand reached out towards her, but pulled back when she recoiled slightly. "I'm sorry Ellowyn. He's gone."
"My atar* is not gone! He is not!" Ellowyn insisted.
"Oh Ellowyn," Aragorn sighed. She looked up at him, her blue eyes - so like her atar's, Aragorn recalled - swimming in tears. When he reached out this time, she allowed herself to be hugged and, eventually, carried to her room as she cried for her father.
Aragorn slowly walked out of the room as Ellowyn restlessly tossed and turned in her sleep, clutching a small trinket her father had made for her. "Okay Legolas," he murmured to himself. "You are not dead - that much is obvious. But you are no where to be found either. So where are you?" Aragorn shook his head, then continued down the hall to tell Arwen of the news.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned to months. Months became years. Still, Aragorn kept a search party going, and Ellowyn never allowed herself to give up hope that her father would one-day return.
Three years were counted since Legolas' disappearance, and Ellowyn turned 8. She still held tightly to the trinket when she slept, afraid that allowing it to be "tossed" could be deemed as giving up.
One night as she slept, Aragorn and Arwen sat in the Grand Hall, discussing the 'Legolas dilemma.' "He is gone, Aragorn. Why do you allow the search party to continue when you know he is not going to be found?" Arwen questioned.
"Because I can not allow myself to give up hope," Aragorn replied with a sigh. Suddenly there was a commotion at the door. Several people came running in, terrified looks on their faces. Aragorn stood and drew his sword.
A blonde elf walked in, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You would think I had returned from the dead."
A/N - Well, what do you think? Did I do 'Ole Tolkien proud, or did I unmercifully damage his characters? You tell me. 5 reviews, and you get the conclusion. Happy reading!