**Chapter Two is finnished enjoy...Chapter 3 is on its way soon*** 1-23-03
Chapter One Lothlorien
The sun shone brightly through the trees of Mirkwood it did not take much for one to see how close the couple beneath the tree sat, hands locked around one another as if connected and never to be broken.
"How many more days?" her gentle voice asked
"34, if my count is right"
A smile then spread across her elegant features, her long tendrils of bronze hair sliding down around her back and tickling against her waist. "I can hardly await that day, Legolas..." she spoke to him as she than leaned forward, her lips pressing against his gently before she retreated back to her own space. "Nor can I, Viorith, to finally make you my bride...." he paused for a moment only a smile slipped across his face, as she had moved once more to kiss his lips....
"What are they saying'?" Merry asked
Legolas looked at the young hobbit with mournful eyes. His dream of days past shattering with the simple words that had been spoken. "I cannot say. For me the grief is still too near."
But this was not the only grief that plagued the Elf's mind. There was another one whom he had lost. The one he never spoke of. He couldn't, for he felt partially at fault for what had happened that long ago day, the images still all to vivid in his own mind. He found himself moving slowly away from the group who mourned for their lost, as he..but he held an extra grief that he still had not yet found a way to cope with..
The arrows flew quickly through the air as the elven archers defended what was theirs. They had to drive the orcs back, away from their forests, back from which ever hole it was they had been born of. Send them to their dooms with no mercy, for they deserved none. Legolas fired several more arrows into the dwindling mass. In only 10 more days he intended on having the woods of Mirkwood rid of these Orcs, for he and his love were set to wed after that 10th day.
Several around him fell, it was a loss but it was no doubt that the elves would be the victors of the day. The orcs were not organized, and did not have the skill...soon, yes soon he thought it will be over.
Then a deafening sound came to his hears as he looked towards the woods. Hoof beats! Sure enough when one turned their gaze towards the wooded horizon they would see a horse as beautiful a bronze as was the riders hair. Horse and rider came through the woods at a fast clip.
Legolas felt his heart catch in his throat. It couldn't be, could it? Viorith wouldn't be here..surely she was still in Lothlorien, safe at home awaiting his coming for her.. But that was not to be the case as the horse came from the woods into the open ground carrying the Elf maiden on its back. She had heard of the battle through words and messengers. Surely she had been told stay home. He had told her, "Stay where it is safe, I will come for you." But she couldn't, wouldn't stand by and let him fight alone. And so Viorith came, fleeing safety. Now she was moving across the open field in plain view. Dangerous, she knew, but it had been told to her once that Love would overcome everything, even death. And so she rode.
Legolas moved from his place, sprinting and firing arrows. She was so far away and in danger; this was a battlefield, no place for her, his love, his wife to be. And than as fast as light, yet as slow as thick syrup on a winter day it happened. The arrow had been released from an Orc's bow, and within a moment it flew through the air and hit its mark. The bronze-haired rider fell to the ground, and but a moment later the horse, too, fell with a sickening thud to the blood-covered ground.
"Legolas?" a soft male voice asked, again shattering the memory that had been flooding his mind.
He hadn't realized that his hands were shaking. The others would not see it; he had taken a position far from the Fellowship and was sitting alone. Or at least he had been alone. Slowly he brought his eyes towards whom it was that spoke.
"Haldir..."
"I know you must feel the loss of your friend greatly, but you need not grieve alone" the marchwarden said. Haldir was friend to Legolas, and friendship was hard for him, for he felt so often the need to close himself off from gentler feelings, because of the frequent losses from the hardships of war.
"Shamefully I must say it is not Gandalf whom I mourn here alone" Legolas spoke in a whisper of a voice, as he could feel Haldir come closer.
"Whom do you mourn for then, Legolas?" he questioned, taking a seat near the other Elf, his own blue eyes trying to catch those of the younger's.
"I dare not speak of it."
Understanding dawned. "You think of her.."
"I dare not speak of it" Legolas repeated, shaking his head. Tears threatened once more to well up.
"Legolas, you have not spoken of it since it happened. Perhaps it would help. It has been some time."
"Not enough time."
"It was a loss for all of us."
"Yes I know. I know she was of Lorien. But she was to be my bride...and I let her die.. She died because of me!" This time it was too hard to hold back the tears, and finally several wet silvery streaks moved down his face.
"It was not your fault. How can you blame yourself, Legolas?" Haldir asked, his usually dry tone gone, only concern there now.
"She was coming to see me, to protect me. I should have been protected her."
"You did not ask her to come."
"No. I told her to stay."
"And she did not listen, which was her choice. She came because she chose to. Because she believed something."
Legolas turned his streaked face to look now at Haldir. "And what did she believe?"
"That Love overcomes everything. Even death. Her mother told her that."
"Well, it is a lie. She is dead. She is not alive, not here with me. Dead..."
"Would you wish her to be here with you, right this moment?"
There was a long pause as Legolas took in a breath and sighed. "No. Again her life would be in danger, as the journey I am on is not safe."
"She is with you in some way; you know this, Legolas."
"But not in the way I wish.."
"Listen, friend. I am not a man who seeks to form attachments. It is lonely, yes; but still I try to keep distant. But I do not think the words Viorith's mother spoke are a lie. I think they are true. And I believe that you two will meet again, before Valinor."
"But she is gone."
"Even Death, Legolas.... Things aren't always as they seem. Sometimes you have to believe in something, in your heart, not your mind."
And with those words hanging in the wind that blew across them both, nothing more was spoken between the two Elves. They had both done something that day neither did often: they had opened up. And weather they felt better or worse for it could not be told, as there are no words to be spoken of grief carried long, then finally shared. The gentle song of the Lament for Gandalf fell on both their ears.and they tried to find peace.
Chapter One Lothlorien
The sun shone brightly through the trees of Mirkwood it did not take much for one to see how close the couple beneath the tree sat, hands locked around one another as if connected and never to be broken.
"How many more days?" her gentle voice asked
"34, if my count is right"
A smile then spread across her elegant features, her long tendrils of bronze hair sliding down around her back and tickling against her waist. "I can hardly await that day, Legolas..." she spoke to him as she than leaned forward, her lips pressing against his gently before she retreated back to her own space. "Nor can I, Viorith, to finally make you my bride...." he paused for a moment only a smile slipped across his face, as she had moved once more to kiss his lips....
"What are they saying'?" Merry asked
Legolas looked at the young hobbit with mournful eyes. His dream of days past shattering with the simple words that had been spoken. "I cannot say. For me the grief is still too near."
But this was not the only grief that plagued the Elf's mind. There was another one whom he had lost. The one he never spoke of. He couldn't, for he felt partially at fault for what had happened that long ago day, the images still all to vivid in his own mind. He found himself moving slowly away from the group who mourned for their lost, as he..but he held an extra grief that he still had not yet found a way to cope with..
The arrows flew quickly through the air as the elven archers defended what was theirs. They had to drive the orcs back, away from their forests, back from which ever hole it was they had been born of. Send them to their dooms with no mercy, for they deserved none. Legolas fired several more arrows into the dwindling mass. In only 10 more days he intended on having the woods of Mirkwood rid of these Orcs, for he and his love were set to wed after that 10th day.
Several around him fell, it was a loss but it was no doubt that the elves would be the victors of the day. The orcs were not organized, and did not have the skill...soon, yes soon he thought it will be over.
Then a deafening sound came to his hears as he looked towards the woods. Hoof beats! Sure enough when one turned their gaze towards the wooded horizon they would see a horse as beautiful a bronze as was the riders hair. Horse and rider came through the woods at a fast clip.
Legolas felt his heart catch in his throat. It couldn't be, could it? Viorith wouldn't be here..surely she was still in Lothlorien, safe at home awaiting his coming for her.. But that was not to be the case as the horse came from the woods into the open ground carrying the Elf maiden on its back. She had heard of the battle through words and messengers. Surely she had been told stay home. He had told her, "Stay where it is safe, I will come for you." But she couldn't, wouldn't stand by and let him fight alone. And so Viorith came, fleeing safety. Now she was moving across the open field in plain view. Dangerous, she knew, but it had been told to her once that Love would overcome everything, even death. And so she rode.
Legolas moved from his place, sprinting and firing arrows. She was so far away and in danger; this was a battlefield, no place for her, his love, his wife to be. And than as fast as light, yet as slow as thick syrup on a winter day it happened. The arrow had been released from an Orc's bow, and within a moment it flew through the air and hit its mark. The bronze-haired rider fell to the ground, and but a moment later the horse, too, fell with a sickening thud to the blood-covered ground.
"Legolas?" a soft male voice asked, again shattering the memory that had been flooding his mind.
He hadn't realized that his hands were shaking. The others would not see it; he had taken a position far from the Fellowship and was sitting alone. Or at least he had been alone. Slowly he brought his eyes towards whom it was that spoke.
"Haldir..."
"I know you must feel the loss of your friend greatly, but you need not grieve alone" the marchwarden said. Haldir was friend to Legolas, and friendship was hard for him, for he felt so often the need to close himself off from gentler feelings, because of the frequent losses from the hardships of war.
"Shamefully I must say it is not Gandalf whom I mourn here alone" Legolas spoke in a whisper of a voice, as he could feel Haldir come closer.
"Whom do you mourn for then, Legolas?" he questioned, taking a seat near the other Elf, his own blue eyes trying to catch those of the younger's.
"I dare not speak of it."
Understanding dawned. "You think of her.."
"I dare not speak of it" Legolas repeated, shaking his head. Tears threatened once more to well up.
"Legolas, you have not spoken of it since it happened. Perhaps it would help. It has been some time."
"Not enough time."
"It was a loss for all of us."
"Yes I know. I know she was of Lorien. But she was to be my bride...and I let her die.. She died because of me!" This time it was too hard to hold back the tears, and finally several wet silvery streaks moved down his face.
"It was not your fault. How can you blame yourself, Legolas?" Haldir asked, his usually dry tone gone, only concern there now.
"She was coming to see me, to protect me. I should have been protected her."
"You did not ask her to come."
"No. I told her to stay."
"And she did not listen, which was her choice. She came because she chose to. Because she believed something."
Legolas turned his streaked face to look now at Haldir. "And what did she believe?"
"That Love overcomes everything. Even death. Her mother told her that."
"Well, it is a lie. She is dead. She is not alive, not here with me. Dead..."
"Would you wish her to be here with you, right this moment?"
There was a long pause as Legolas took in a breath and sighed. "No. Again her life would be in danger, as the journey I am on is not safe."
"She is with you in some way; you know this, Legolas."
"But not in the way I wish.."
"Listen, friend. I am not a man who seeks to form attachments. It is lonely, yes; but still I try to keep distant. But I do not think the words Viorith's mother spoke are a lie. I think they are true. And I believe that you two will meet again, before Valinor."
"But she is gone."
"Even Death, Legolas.... Things aren't always as they seem. Sometimes you have to believe in something, in your heart, not your mind."
And with those words hanging in the wind that blew across them both, nothing more was spoken between the two Elves. They had both done something that day neither did often: they had opened up. And weather they felt better or worse for it could not be told, as there are no words to be spoken of grief carried long, then finally shared. The gentle song of the Lament for Gandalf fell on both their ears.and they tried to find peace.