Like the Stars
***
Aragorn stirred uneasily. He was meant to be resting for the night, but something kept him awake, troubling his thoughts. He got up from his bedroll and tiptoed quietly across the room, shutting the door carefully as he entered into the main hall. Meduseld was no less glorious at night; though most of it was cloaked in shadow, the gold leaf adorning its pillars caught the occasional shaft of moonlight and glinted in the darkness.
He passed through the main doors and stood breathing the cool, crisp air. From its position high atop a large outcropping of rock, Edoras caught every night breeze that rolled across the plains of Rohan. It was a chilly night, and Aragorn pulled his cloak close.
A silent figure stood to one side looking out onto the plains. Aragorn had expected him to be here; it was partly why he had decided to venture out. He needed to speak with him, to be with him at the moment. He walked towards the place where the figure stood.
"The stars are veiled," Legolas said, without moving. Aragorn saw the adored face turned towards the far mountains, the elf's beautiful eyes shining with pure moonlight. He gazed at Legolas' smooth skin and wanted nothing more than to run his fingers over it, but he only stood silently, listening. "Something stirs in the east," the elf breathed. "A sleepless malice. The eye of the Enemy is moving." Finally, he turned his face towards Aragorn, his eyes softening even as he spoke of the Shadow that clouded the night sky.
Aragorn was breathless. He could never stop looking at Legolas, could never tire of watching him move as they journeyed together or fought side by side in battle. He took one of the elf's soft hands and pulled him close. "I could not sleep. Something troubles me," he said quietly, holding him in his arms.
Legolas gazed at him, understanding in his clear blue eyes. "I know." He sighed and ran his fingers through Aragorn's dark hair, bringing his hand to rest on the man's cheek. "You fear for Frodo and the quest. You fear what the Enemy might do, what may become of the world of men," he said, kissing Aragorn lightly, "But most of all, you fear for me."
Aragorn closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the elf's in a rare moment of despair. "I do not doubt your skill." he began.
"Yet you can't help but fear for my life.for what may happen to me before this war is over," Legolas finished for him. He shook his head. " 'Onen I-Estel edain*.'"
" '.u-chebin estel.anim**.' I know the words well, love."
"And do you really believe that? That there is no hope for either of us?" The elf's questioning gaze was upon him, searching. Aragorn let go of him and moved to stand closer to the edge of the stone platform. He looked out at the darkness that crept silently over the landscape and saw that the stars were indeed veiled. He felt a heaviness in his heart that was beyond words.
Instead of answering his lover's question, he said, "I saw Haldir die at Helm's Deep, Legolas. I watched his eyes grow dark, held him as he drew his last breath surrounded by the bodies of his fallen kin." Aragorn felt himself beginning to break down, the tears rising in his throat. He closed his eyes. "I had never thought of it before, but what if that had been you? What if you had fallen instead of Haldir?"
Legolas moved to embrace him from behind, resting his chin on Aragorn's shoulder. "But it was not me," he said softly.
"It could have been," Aragorn answered bitterly. "I have seen too much of war, seen too many that I have loved slain in battle. And for what? The Enemy still moves in the east. The Shadow has not been defeated. You said it yourself-it is a sleepless malice." He turned to face Legolas, suddenly angry. "I am beginning to wonder if there was ever any hope."
The elf stayed serene, waiting patiently for him to finish. "Ai, Estel nim," he said, his arms still encircling Aragorn. "Auta i lome. Aure entuluva.***" He gazed at something in the distance and smiled suddenly, that radiant breathtaking smile that Aragorn lived for. "Look at the stars."
Aragorn raised his head and saw that the stars had returned to the heavens. Thousands of twinkling lights winked at him from high above, filling the night sky with a brilliance that was rivaled only by the light now shining in Legolas' eyes.
"Do you truly believe that there is no hope?" Legolas asked again, gazing at him intently, a soft smile still playing at his lips.
Aragorn hesitated, then gently removed the elf's hood to stroke his straw-colored hair. "There is always hope," he said, and kissed him once. Already, he felt that the heaviness had lifted and he held Legolas closer, shutting his eyes as another cool night breeze traveled through Edoras to the doors of the golden hall.
* "I give hope to Men." ** ".I keep no hope for myself." *** "Ah, my Hope. The night is passing.day will come again."
***
Aragorn stirred uneasily. He was meant to be resting for the night, but something kept him awake, troubling his thoughts. He got up from his bedroll and tiptoed quietly across the room, shutting the door carefully as he entered into the main hall. Meduseld was no less glorious at night; though most of it was cloaked in shadow, the gold leaf adorning its pillars caught the occasional shaft of moonlight and glinted in the darkness.
He passed through the main doors and stood breathing the cool, crisp air. From its position high atop a large outcropping of rock, Edoras caught every night breeze that rolled across the plains of Rohan. It was a chilly night, and Aragorn pulled his cloak close.
A silent figure stood to one side looking out onto the plains. Aragorn had expected him to be here; it was partly why he had decided to venture out. He needed to speak with him, to be with him at the moment. He walked towards the place where the figure stood.
"The stars are veiled," Legolas said, without moving. Aragorn saw the adored face turned towards the far mountains, the elf's beautiful eyes shining with pure moonlight. He gazed at Legolas' smooth skin and wanted nothing more than to run his fingers over it, but he only stood silently, listening. "Something stirs in the east," the elf breathed. "A sleepless malice. The eye of the Enemy is moving." Finally, he turned his face towards Aragorn, his eyes softening even as he spoke of the Shadow that clouded the night sky.
Aragorn was breathless. He could never stop looking at Legolas, could never tire of watching him move as they journeyed together or fought side by side in battle. He took one of the elf's soft hands and pulled him close. "I could not sleep. Something troubles me," he said quietly, holding him in his arms.
Legolas gazed at him, understanding in his clear blue eyes. "I know." He sighed and ran his fingers through Aragorn's dark hair, bringing his hand to rest on the man's cheek. "You fear for Frodo and the quest. You fear what the Enemy might do, what may become of the world of men," he said, kissing Aragorn lightly, "But most of all, you fear for me."
Aragorn closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the elf's in a rare moment of despair. "I do not doubt your skill." he began.
"Yet you can't help but fear for my life.for what may happen to me before this war is over," Legolas finished for him. He shook his head. " 'Onen I-Estel edain*.'"
" '.u-chebin estel.anim**.' I know the words well, love."
"And do you really believe that? That there is no hope for either of us?" The elf's questioning gaze was upon him, searching. Aragorn let go of him and moved to stand closer to the edge of the stone platform. He looked out at the darkness that crept silently over the landscape and saw that the stars were indeed veiled. He felt a heaviness in his heart that was beyond words.
Instead of answering his lover's question, he said, "I saw Haldir die at Helm's Deep, Legolas. I watched his eyes grow dark, held him as he drew his last breath surrounded by the bodies of his fallen kin." Aragorn felt himself beginning to break down, the tears rising in his throat. He closed his eyes. "I had never thought of it before, but what if that had been you? What if you had fallen instead of Haldir?"
Legolas moved to embrace him from behind, resting his chin on Aragorn's shoulder. "But it was not me," he said softly.
"It could have been," Aragorn answered bitterly. "I have seen too much of war, seen too many that I have loved slain in battle. And for what? The Enemy still moves in the east. The Shadow has not been defeated. You said it yourself-it is a sleepless malice." He turned to face Legolas, suddenly angry. "I am beginning to wonder if there was ever any hope."
The elf stayed serene, waiting patiently for him to finish. "Ai, Estel nim," he said, his arms still encircling Aragorn. "Auta i lome. Aure entuluva.***" He gazed at something in the distance and smiled suddenly, that radiant breathtaking smile that Aragorn lived for. "Look at the stars."
Aragorn raised his head and saw that the stars had returned to the heavens. Thousands of twinkling lights winked at him from high above, filling the night sky with a brilliance that was rivaled only by the light now shining in Legolas' eyes.
"Do you truly believe that there is no hope?" Legolas asked again, gazing at him intently, a soft smile still playing at his lips.
Aragorn hesitated, then gently removed the elf's hood to stroke his straw-colored hair. "There is always hope," he said, and kissed him once. Already, he felt that the heaviness had lifted and he held Legolas closer, shutting his eyes as another cool night breeze traveled through Edoras to the doors of the golden hall.
* "I give hope to Men." ** ".I keep no hope for myself." *** "Ah, my Hope. The night is passing.day will come again."