Title: Boe Cuil Ban Firitha (All Life is Doomed to Fade)

Rating: PG13

Author: Legilmalith

Summary: An AU view of the Battle of Helm's Deep, focusing on Legolas and Aragorn.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JRR Tolkien's. If I did, I obviously wouldn't be writing fanfiction....I'd be writing full novels. Oh, how I'd dream. To get to the point, don't sue me, cause I don't own anything of JRR Tolkien's, and I'm a teen-ager, so I'm poor anyways.

Author's Notes: This is an AU story. It's not a sequel to my other story, but it may have some references to my other story, "The Peril of Mirkwood". I will post the characters' names and the events you will have to know at the beginning or end of the chapter.

Common Tongue: "..."

Elvish: ~...~

Thoughts: *...*

**PLEASE R and R. I don't even know if I'll want to continue this. So, basically, no reviews, no story.

Chapter One: The Evenstar

Legolas looked over the cliff, staring at the icy waters as they flowed over sharp rocks and twisted around swift bends. The Evenstar was clutched in his fist, his knuckles turning white from his strong hold on the jewel.

"...leave the dead."

Legolas looked up at Theoden's words. Leave Aragorn? His eyes met the King's, and the elf found that Theoden felt just as regrettable for leaving the corpses as he did. Theoden placed a hand upon Legolas's shoulder.

"Come...."

Legolas's heart lightened a bit. He thought from Theoden's point of view: He had been imprisoned by Saruman in his own body, unaware of his actions, almost killed, and had lost his only son and heir, Theodred, and, now, Aragorn, man's only hope, all in a matter of days. Legolas vowed to himself that he would never try to understand how the hearts of men could withhold so much grief and pain.

Legolas looked back to the waters, now placing his gaze on the Evenstar, whose beauty mystified and eased his heart's pain.

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"Lord Aragorn...where is he?" Eowyn said, her gaze full of confusion.

Gimli hesitated before answering, his voice quivering in remembrance of the sorrow he felt and still endured.

"He fell."

Eowyn turned, her eyes showing like a window into her soul. Tears welled up in her eyes, soon thereafter spilling down her fair cheeks. She sank to the ground, mourning her friend and beloved. Aragorn was one of the only men whom she had ever loved, and her infatuation with him made her heart feel as if a thousand daggers were pierced into it upon hearing the news of his passing.

Legolas watched from afar, his own silver tears willing to fall. He dismounted Arod and compelled himself not to think of the tragedy. Instead, he marveled at the magnificence of the fortress of Helm's Deep. Its gigantic walls and giant stones made Legolas wonder how long it took to build it. Indeed, it was a wonder.

He took a deep breath and decided to survey the layout of Helm's Deep. As he walked along the outer wall, people turned their heads and gasped. He noticed this, but dared not look up. He knew most of these people had never seen an Elf before and could not help but gape at his appearance. His pointed ears, long blonde hair, and flowing nature set himself very apart from human-kind.

He turned, seeing Gimli still standing, bewildered at Eowyn's reaction to the ill tidings, and he could hold the tears no longer.

Gimli felt sight upon him, and his eyes met that of Legolas. He was shaken by the visage of his gaze. His eyes held so much fear, so much anguish, so much pain, yet it was evidently clear that these feelings were some he had felt many times before. This was odd for an Elf, because, due to their immortality, Elves were not known to understand death and grief. But now, as Gimli gazed into his bright blue eyes, his heart sank, and, surprisingly for a Dwarf, he felt sorry for him.

Legolas broke the awkward display of affection shared between the two. He ran through the nearest door he could find, letting the grief in his heart spill out like a river from a waterfall. He sank to the ground, lifting aged dust from the floor that had not been swept in years. The dirt coated his face, and the tears he shed spilt down his cheeks, leaving a clean trail in its wake. His cries of anguish could not be heard from others, for the single window that gave light to the armoury was but a foot long, and any noise that escaped it would be lost in the doings outdoors.

The door opened, letting a sliver of light in. A small child stood in the frame, his small body barely holding open the door. His large eyes gaped at the Elf sitting there, for he had not expected him to be there. He only wished to look at the weapons, as any four-year-old boy in that day would have.

Legolas's cries ceased. He looked up to see the boy looking at him, half in fear, half in amazement. The boy began to walk toward him, slowly. Legolas's gaze never left him. The child crept even closer, sitting down next to the Elf. He sent up his own dust cloud, which only added to the dirt that caked his clothes and body. The boy stared, but Legolas looked away, glaring at a spot on the wall as if it were fascinating. He periodically would cast a look at the human, seeing if anything had changed suspiciously.

The boy did something surprising then. He reached his hand up to the Elf's ear, feeling the abnormal curves of it, and stopped at the point. He then traveled to the hair, running his fingers through the long blonde strands. His hand continued down, resting on his breast pocket. He pulled out the Evenstar, his fingers lightly brushing its cast. Legolas met his stare now, seeing the astonishment and wisdom that could be held in such a young child.

The door opened again, and a young woman, who obviously was his mother, briskly walked in. She was noticeably angry, but also startled at where her son was hiding. She stopped when she saw Legolas, her breath catching in her chest. Her eyes were akin to the boy's, and held the same emotion as his. She broke out of her daze, knowing what she had to do. She picked up the boy, who, still clutching the Evenstar, dropped it lightly on the ground.

"I'm sorry. Lomithral, I told you not to go wandering off!"

Lomithral gave a slight wave, and then yielded to his mother's scolding.

Legolas watched as they left, the door shutting stifling all light except for one ray. That ray shone on the Evenstar, shimmering and resilient with beauty. At that moment, Legolas knew. He finally understood why his heart was so confused.

Aragorn was not dead. The Evenstar would never let that happen.

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§* Legilmalith *§