Just a longer drabble. I am planning to write two or three other stories here, as a collection of small stories about those three friends; love them! There is not much plot in here as it was written just for fun. Besides, I always thought about the celebrations of different kins and, well, I kind of picked one of my ideas and drafted what I thought it might look like. (I haven't proof-read it yet, so forgive the mistakes)
Why LotR now? Well, I watched the movies and returned to the books again, plus I read an amazing FanFic of Edhelwen Onieta, which introduced me into the LotR world from another perspective, check it out. I highly recommend it!
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Meanwhile. Have a very joyful and amazing year 2016, full of love and success!
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Setting: first New Year's Eve after the War of the Ring. Let's pretend that, during restoration and their travelling, Legolas and Gimli found time to come to Minas Tirith for celebration – of course on Aragorn's plead.
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"Happy New Year 3020!"
"Let it be better than 3019!"
"Long life to the King!"
The greetings as such surrounded the ball room, the citizens of Gondor merrily rushing to one another, embracing and pecking their relatives, acquaintances, or even entirely unknown persons within their reach. Which seemed ridiculous to some.
"You know, Legolas," Gimli suddenly started, slamming another emptied beer mug on the table, then turning his sight towards the crowds. "I cannot understand this tradition."
"Which one?" The Elf asked, his gaze also sliding along the scene in front of him.
"The one where people grasp and hold anybody close, hollering some pointless and in all probability insincere things." The Dwarf sneered.
"I see no reason they should stop, though, for the custom seems amiable." Legolas commented calmly.
Gimli's head moved towards his companion. "Perhaps I should mimic them and try it on you?" He cleared his throat, concealing a sneer upon seeing the Elf's expression.
"I would rather you did not."
"Anyway, we, the Dwarves, have other traditions during Durin's Day which, I shall admit, are far more meaningful and enjoyable. Of course, the men's month for that would be October when we in a sense reset the calendar, yet, it is similar*." Gimli stated proudly. Meanwhile, Legolas reached for another mug with beer and drank some, gesturing at his friend to continue. "We gather in the heart of the Durin's clan, as my Father would say, to celebrate another year of our history. Since our kin exists ever for so long due to Aulë and Ilúvatar's, well, should I call it cooperation—"
"A century after the Firstborn, the Elves, had awakened." Legolas interjected, amused; he dared not to look at the Dwarf, aware of that his comment would cause his companion's indignation.
"Ekhm, well, I cannot deny the history, although Ilúvatar's little trick had definitely been cruel…" Gimli grumbled, knitting his bushy eyebrows and glancing at his friend with reproach.. "Still, you could give it a miss."
"Sorry. I could not." The Elf smiled, nodding.
"Therefore, as I was sayin', our history is plenty. It is cruel, bloody, and full of hardship, but eventually the Dwarves always handle the situation. It is only normal that we celebrate the New Year as a prompt of the most important events."
"Is one of the latest the defeat of Smaug, the Dragon?" The Elven Prince asked, scrutinizing Gimli's façade.
"Yes, of course, we do burn a forty-feet high effigy prepared by our women. Moreover, there is one custom connected to the doing, namely the way the dragon burns foretells the upcoming year's matters."
"Does it?"
"Aye, it was never wrong." He spat, his rough fingers tapping a melody on the table. "You believe me not, do you?"
"I was not aware of such traditions, forgive me, my friend." Legolas shook his head. "Apparently, the Dwarvish celebration is extremely serious and has little to do with fun. Am I correct?"
"But no! After recalling the most important parts of our past, we have the Elders speaking about their most exquisite experiences. However, later we bring repast, food, amazingly broiled wild boars of the Mountains hunted by best of our warriors, and beer. Lots of it." Gimli's hand hit the table hard, emphasizing his words. "And we celebrate till the last one stands!"
The Elf sat in silence for a moment, contemplating, then he gazed at the Lord of Glittering Caves, seemingly waiting for him to add something to his story. Yet, upon seeing the Dwarf drinking yet another beer, he cleared his throat and inquired:
"And does anything happen at midnight?"
"Why? Ah, so I did ignite some interest within you!" Gimli ginned, content. "Why do you think there must be something special at that hour?"
"Simply because it is the breakthrough and, usually, it is most important."
"Aye, you are right!" He sipped his beer, placing the mug down and wiping the liquid from his mustache and beard. "But, Mr. Elf, that you will see. I shall not spoil the surprise, no, a Dwarf never does that."
The Elf smirked. "Thus, you are planning to invite me someday?"
"Ugh, I suppose it was my offer." Gimli responded quietly, avoiding eye contact.
Legolas examined the Dwarf before nodding. "I would be honored, Gimli."
He grunted incomprehensively in reply, apparently not overjoyed for his friend had seen him through; the Dwarf wanted to spend another New Year's Eve with his Elven friend. No matter how strange did it seem.
"And what about the Elves?"
"What about us?" Legolas repeated, blinking.
"How does your kind celebrate the New Year?"
The Elf gathered his thoughts before answering. "Did our friendship awake curiosity in you, Gimli? After all, am I wrong to believe you would not have asked about it before?"
"Of course I wouldn't! Agr, I used to consider all of you, pointy ears, a waste of space… That is, I had reasons to that, in fact, my Father had told me some stories about the Elves and their ways…" Gimli grunted and finished his beer. "Nonetheless, my friend, you are an exception."
"I am not a waste of space?" Legolas chuckled.
"Of course not! Would I drink with a waste of space not!"
"I admit, it was not facile to change your notion of me." The Elf sighed. "And, apparently, you still consider my kin to be hopeless, yet, I am glad to prove you wrong at least in the one, certain case."
"Don't pay heed to the details and finally tell me about your celebration!" The Dwarf frowned, exclaiming his next words quite loudly. "Hard, it is, to gain concrete information from you, Elves!"
"Very well, you shared your tradition with me, shall I do the same." Legolas nodded gracefully and took a sip from his mug, observing his friend. "The New Year's Eve, Mettarë, is a special date to every of my brothers and sisters. However, it is no mystery that our calendar is different."
"Different? How?"
"Our year hold more days than the calendar of men." Legolas watched a few pairs dancing gracefully to the music. "Moreover, to us, Yestarë comes along with the first breath of Spring."
"This is ridiculous, thus you celebrate it in March?!"
"Most certainly, yes. According to Imladris, the Elvish calendar which is most common among out race."
"Wait, Legolas." Gimli crossed his arms and spat. "Why would your calendar be different?"
"Due to our long lifespan, we established Yéni of 144 years. A men's year would be Coranar or a Loa, still, its creation was determined by the kin of men becoming dominant."
"So you are saying that if I ask you about your age…" The Dwarf chocked on his alcohol. "You would give me in those Yéni? How the hell old are you then?"
"No." Legolas sighed. "We had to make our numbers more… modern. It is to say, we divided it into six, hm, months based on the natural seasons."
"Fine." He grumbled, impatient. "But what do you do?"
The Elf smiled. "We sing songs of Nature, Peace, Happiness. We talk with both other Elves and plants, trees just to aware them of the time of the year. We share the joy and love we feel. Then we feast."
"Seems like a little dull party, my friend." Gimly grinned from behind his beard, his eyes twinkling. "After all, the damn Elves always speak with grandeur and are quite qushing, they are."
"Is not though. I would love to show you someday." Legolas replied, amused by the sudden change of the Dwarf's face.
"Huh, uh, really now?" A moment of silence embraced them. "Very well, I will not disappoint you, my friend, I will attend."
Legolas laughed and finished his beer. Suddenly, he resumed: "Gimli, you might have not understood."
"Hmm?" The called one furrowed his brows and turned to the other. "No, indeed, I have no idea what you mean at the moment."
The Elven Prince sat in silence for a while, formulating what he wanted to say in his mind first. "You… Understand that this place is no longer for us. The Elves. You are aware of that most of us already departed…" Upon seeing Gimli nod, he continued. "Therefore, I am bound to leave this place for good, too."
"Just a second, Legolas, so you intend to sail to that damn far away land where others from your race did, as well as Frodo and Gandalf?" The Dwarf barked, clenching his hands into fists. "I thought you are to stay—"
"Restoration of Middle Earth is my reason for staying behind, as well as my Father's temporary presence here." He said calmly. "It will take a long while before the ground and sky are wholesome once more, yet, when most of the work is done, I will join my kin."
"This must be a joke of you!" Gimli yelled, standing up. "Why would you leave everything here? Your friends and your world! Memories! Beautiful forests, everything you will have restored actually!"
"Sit down, my friend." Legolas pleaded, noticing the looks they were given by some people. "I have not finished."
"I bet you have not!" The Dwarf was raging, apparently hurt. "You did not even mention a thing to me, you pointy ears!"
"I did not say anything for I had to take care of—"
"What is there to be taken care of?! You board a damn ship and you sail away, simple!"
"I hope to take you along."
Gimli froze, floored. He stared at the Elf, his mouth open although it was barely visible under the curly red hair of his beard, his pride. The Lord of Glittering Caves gasped, still exasperated, then sat back down. He closed his eyes, pondering over the heard thing.
Legolas watched his friend with seriousness, the amusement gone. He waited for the Dwarf to respond. He was aware of that his proposition was one of a kind, a brave and a rare wish. No one beside the Elves and now two Hobbits had ever been granted entrance into the Undying Lands. The Elf cleared his throat to remind his companion of the wait.
Gimli budged and said slowly: "Oh. I… Um. An honor, it is."
"Yes."
"However, Legolas… We had plans. We were to travel to now my land, the Glittering Caves." Gimli frowned.
"And we will." Legolas admitted, wondering what his friend had in mind.
"Also, we agreed to travel around the Fangorn Forest."
"That we shall do as well."
"And—"
"Gimli," Legolas sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We will have time to engage in and even finish our affairs in the Middle Earth**. In fact…" He hesitated, then said in a lowered voice. "I do not think we would leave during Aragorn's reign."
The Dwarf gapped at him for a moment, then laughed, sounding like a barking dog, and hit the Elf on the back with stunning force, making the Prince flinch slightly.
"I never considered the time in such long aspect. Legolas, have I never been so terrified before, not even when we were standing in front of Mordor, awaiting out death. I thought you wanted to depart in the following weeks, maybe months even." Gimli laughed once more and hit his own chest with a fist, declaring: "In other words, if I live as long and if our friendship survives the tides of time, I will join you, my friend, with purest pleasure."
The Elf smiled. "Magnificent."
Abruptly, a voice from behind caught their attention.
"Legolas! Gimli! My friends." The King himself approached them and threw his arms around their necks before they could stand up and bow. "Thank you for coming, are you fine?"
"My Ki— erm, Aragorn." Legolas smiled and nodded. "You found a second for us!"
"Aragorn, you promised to compete in a drinking game with me!" The Dwarf bellowed.
"Should a King participate in such an undignified event?" He smiled widely.
"A King? Nah." Gimli chuckled. "But a friend should not have any problem with that!"
"Well, then, prepare the beer barrels!" Aragorn commanded one of his people standing behind, who bowed and went away.
"First, check whether this Dwarf is able to stand straight for he already had several mugs." Legolas joked, earning a glare and a huff from Gimli.
"Not able to stand straight! Me!" He was beyond offended. "Are you mad? A Dwarf drinks both best and most! Pay no heed to that, Aragorn, and prepare!"
"Should I be a judge?" The Elf asked.
"Unless you join us, Legolas." King Elessar offered.
He thought over the matter and nodded. "I see no reason to refuse."
"What!" Gimli sneered. "The Prince joins a drinking contest on his own behalf! The world is going to end soon!"
"We can never be sure when we shall see each other again…" Aragorn muttered, straightening his back and letting go of his friends. "Moreover, Arwen is engaged with something and I have some time on my hands."
"She does not approve of such events, then?"
"Exactly."
"My King, the barrels will arrive shortly." The man who had departed to bring the alcohol returned, reporting. Aragorn nodded and clapped his hands.
"So, my Lords, let us have some fun!"
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Several hours later…
"Remind me to never drink with Dwarves again." In the morning, Aragorn groaned, standing on an official gathering next to Arwen, Legolas, and Gimli, the two males no better than him.
The Queen glared at them before she stated: "You should not have acted like… Like…"
"Like the careless youngsters we used to be during the War?" Legolas wanted to say quietly, yet, he only hissed.
"Yes, Legolas. And you should have had more wisdom than that, given I considered you the most reasonable of the trio."
"You are cruel, my Lady." Gimli scowled and covered his mouth with his broad hand.
"You deserve it." Arwen smiled sweetly, completely in contradiction to her words.
The three friends exchanged glances which were more telling than a thousand remarks and fell silent, aware of that even a word could ignite both the Queen's anger and their suffering. Only after the ceremony did the three of them find some peace and quiet in one of the King's chambers; they collapsed on the armchairs and each one let out a small sigh. Due to the headache, the conversation did not mesh as they would wish it to, especially after King Elessar's comment over the men's saying which implied that the whole year would be same as the first day. Yet, the mood was lightened when they began recalling most dangerous adventures they had been through together.
"Well, fellows," Gimli started finally. "The post-drinking illness is killing me now, but I must admit I do not regret anything. And even though the mankind's celebration still seems odd to me, remaining a mystery, I am delighted to have spent it with you both."
"Yes, me too." Legolas agreed motionlessly, afraid to move a muscle.
Aragorn only smiled and shifted his sight between his companions. "Well, then. Happy New Year, my friends."
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* well, there are no exact records of Dwarvish calendar, therefore, I based myself on Thorin's words and some other sources. Consider it absolute fiction, please.
* I decided to consider the Undying Lands as another realm, sorry. It sounds more sophisticated and serious.