Gwannar an-uir (Leaving Forever)
By: Alilacia
Rating: G
Feedback:
Spoilers: I suppose there are small ones for the appendices. I recall that this was only mentioned in the appendices, I hope. Geez, it's been so long since I've read them.
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with the film or books. That honour goes to Peter Jackson (et all) and J.R.R Tolkien. I have no permission what so ever to use these characters, will not receive any money for this, and am doing this for my own enjoyment. And to pass time between working.
Series:
Gwend (Friendship)
Mortality
Lessons
Wandering
Learning Curve
Sickness
and
Gwannar an-uir (Leaving Forever)
Summary:
All things must come to an end. The day that he has been dreading has finally arrived. Can he bring himself to say goodbye to his friend? Knowing that more than just hope has been lost.
Mae govannen!
This is the last instalment in The Lennath Series. Or at least, its what I might use for an ending for this series. I hated reading the appendixes where Aragorn died, and much prefer Cassia and Sio's ending, but I got an idea for this and had to write it. No matter how much it made me cry. I warn you, this does have a character death in it. I'll see if I can write a more cheerful version one day. According to the site I found on the internet 'Lennath' is apparently journey's in Sindarin. Since I'm not fluent by any means in any form of elvish, I'm just going to have to take their word for it. So in English it is basically 'The Journey's Series'. I decided to call it The Journey's Series, because that is basically what all the stories are about: Legolas' and Aragorn's journey's though life, and the paths it takes them on. This is a story called Gwannar an-uir, which is Sindarin for Leaving Forever. This was just two different words I found on two different sites, so I don't really know if it is correct. An-uir apparently means literally 'to eternity.' All through this are various memories, so the story will be switching from scene to scene more often than I would normally. If any are confused by this let me know, and I'll see what I can do to clear things up. This has the lyrics to 'My Immortal' by Evanescence. It's not really a song fic as such, but it does contain the lyrics in italics. Or it would if italics could show up in the email. So I suppose this could be seen as a song fic. First I am going to make it clear that this is a NON-SLASH, so you won't be finding any relationship between Legolas and Aragorn that is any closer than brothers. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not going to make it any different. I know that Hobbits give gifts on their birthday, and this is mine to you. I've loved every minute of being an author, and I have to give something back. Granted my birthday was actually on the 29th of April, but this is the first story I've been able to finish since that day. So even though it's a bit late for me to say I got it out for my birthday, here you go. And I hope you like it. Namárië mellyn nín Alilacia Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu vilya Gwannar an-uir (Leaving Forever)
May the Valar protect you on your path under the sky
Tears slipped out of his eyes, and he didn't even try to dry them. Countless emotions pulled at his heart, and he gripped his friends cooling hand tightly. A slender hand came to rest on his shoulder, and a shaking voice told him there was no reason for him to stay here any longer. He shook his head quickly, and bowed his head. He couldn't leave, not yet...
He heard the footsteps leaving him alone in the room. The hand on his shoulder squeezed one last time before following the last person out. When the door was softly closed, he let his head fall to the bed and cried. Although he had known this day would come, he had always hoped that somehow it could be avoided.
As each tear slipped down his flushed cheeks, he remembered what his friend had been like before this day. With light in his eyes that had only been rivalled by the moon at its peak in the starry night, and a smile that could bring hope no matter how dark the days became.
Despite himself, memories came back and with them a new set of tears. As he remembered all he had gained, and what he had lost.
Estel leant forward and looked out of the window. He had long retired to bed, and even though he felt tired enough to sleep, he could not bring himself to lie down and close his eyes. Images he thought long gone tugged at his mind, and he dared not close his eyes in case the pictures came back.
His breath fogged on the air, and he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Tears sprang unbidden in his eyes, and he wiped them away. He was an adult now, tears should not come because of a nightmare. But deep down he knew they always would. Deep in his mind, the sketchy memories he held of his mortal family surfaced when night had fallen. Some were very vague, like the scent of his mothers skin and the strength of his fathers arms, but others were extremely vivid. One in particular stuck out in his mind, and seemed to play endlessly across his eyelids when he tried to sleep. Even now, cries of pain and shouts of anguish echoed in his ears, remnants of a memory that had yet to fade. Aragorn willed away the latest set of tears that fell from his eyes, and held his hands over his ears. In an unconscious mimic of an action performed many times as a child, he tried to block out the sounds vying for his attention in his mind. A whisper crept in through the crying voices, and a concerned hand rested slowly on his shoulder. Aragorn jumped and swung around. Concerned blue eyes looked into his own, and the voices seemed to fade slightly as he looked into Legolas' eyes. Estel turned quickly away from his friend, and resumed looking out of the window. He did not want Legolas to see him like this. Legolas moved up to stand next to his friend, and let his hand rest between his friends' shoulder blades. "Mae le?" he tilted his head when Aragorn nodded stiffly, "are you alright?" He had seen the tears in Aragorn's eyes, and although he knew not how to help his friend, he was not about to walk away now. "I am fine Legolas, just go back to bed." Aragorn's voice shook slightly as did his body, and Legolas knew he was fighting back more tears. With hands that could not be ignored, Legolas gripped his friends shoulders, and turned Estel around. Aragorn bent his head so that his hair fell into his face. Legolas held Aragorn's chin and forced his friend to look him in the eyes. The silver eyes looked anywhere but to his own, and Legolas waited. Eventually Aragorn ran out of places to look at, and reluctantly met Legolas' even stare. The tears could not be held back, and Legolas guided Aragorn to the bed. He sat down next to his friend, and gently wiped away the tears that pooled near Estel's chin. As Legolas removed the trace of the last tear, Aragorn lost his composure, and fell into his friends arms. At that point he didn't care about the efforts he had taken to hide his feelings from Legolas, and started crying again as Legolas wrapped his arms securely around his shoulders. The feeling of being held in a strong, secure grip was reassuring to the human, and he spilled out what had started all this. Legolas listened as Aragorn spoke of his human family, of a life he could barely remember. This was not the first time Legolas had heard about this, he knew just how much this particular nightmare still continued to haunt his friend. Aragorn sniffed, and shifted slightly so he could wipe away the tears. He couldn't help but think back to the last time that he had been held like this. The tears continued to fall as he thought of his father, the wise Lord Elrond. Deep in these halls of stone, all he had were his memories as Imladris started to fade, and his brothers rarely came around any more. It had been a few years since his father had sailed over the seas, never to be seen again. Although he could sense his ada's presence every time he looked up to the stars, he would always miss him. Although he knew that his father had simply grown tired of Middle-earth, he couldn't help but hope that his father would return one day, and that he wouldn't be without a father.
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears Aragorn's attention was drawn away from his thoughts by a song. He could only just hear the words as they were sung. Lilting lyrics loud enough for only him to hear.
The song was not unfamiliar to him, and banished the dark in his heart as it brought back memories of lighter times. Times spent with his family. He looked up to Legolas who had closed his eyes, pouring all his love and friendship into each word. A smile finally started to pull at Estel's lips, and he let his head fall back against Legolas' chest. With a small sigh, he let the words wash over him, banishing the last of the fears and sadness that cloaked him. The sleep he had long been denied stole over him, and his eyes slipped shut.
Legolas opened his eyes, and looked down. Without stopping his song, he smiled. For the first time in so long, Aragorn truly looked at rest. The passing of his elven father had weighed heavily on his shoulders, and although he improved slowly day by day, Legolas knew that he would not fully heal unless he saw his father again. Slowly he eased back on to the bed, taking one hand from around Aragorn to pull the comforter over his friends slumbering form. As the last of the notes were faded by the silence, Legolas let his hand rest again over Aragorn's back.
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave He walked through the garden, his thoughts far from where he was. He had been forced to leave while they tended to his body, and he had chosen to return to the one place that had comforted him in the past.
His fingers automatically ran over the aged bark of the trees, but his pace was listless, and Legolas fell to the ground in the centre of the garden. The sound of softly running water comforted him somewhat, and he closed his eyes, listening to the wind.
Something in the air seemed different tonight, and Legolas couldn't quite figure out what it was.
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone As he lay still and breathed deeply and evenly, it occurred to him what it was. The distinctive smell he had come to associate with Aragorn was on the air, and Legolas sat up smoothly. Looking around, Legolas hugged his knees to his chest. After a moment of looking at the twilight garden, Legolas gracefully moved to his feet and stood before the fountain. The stone tingled under his fingertips, and he recalled how they had sat here on many a bright day, and talked. Legolas always believed that the energy of a person was imprinted into objects, into anything they might have held dear. When he held his hand to the stone fountain Aragorn had loved, he could almost see Aragorn standing next to him, his greying hair blowing slightly in the breeze and a large smile on his ageing face.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real There's just too much that time cannot erase Legolas choked back another sob, and moved away from the fountain. The pain of Aragorn's passing was still heavy in his heart, and he knew not how to deal with his feelings. Even loosing Mithrandir to Moria had not hurt as badly as this. It was times like this that Legolas found himself wishing that he could have offered some measure of immortality to Aragorn.
As a mithril coloured tear snaked its way down his face, Legolas saw Arwen walking through the trees. Her long dark velvet dress billowed out behind her in the breeze, and her eyes glittered in the starlight. The Evenstar was back around her neck, and her hair sometimes concealed her eyes from the outside world. Concealed from all save the clouds, stars and one lone elf who knew exactly how much her heart was breaking.
Legolas turned and looked into his reflection in the rippling water of the fountain. The moon shone bright and proud behind him, and Legolas turned his mind back to when he had last seen the moon like this.
With a snarl of rage, Aragorn attacked the next orc to try and take him down. Although he had long lost sight of Legolas, he knew that the elven archer could take care of himself.
Calling upon instincts and skills honed by years of battles, the human pressed himself onward. Determined to protect his elven friend, and the human he knew was somewhere in this chaos.
Legolas reached back into his quiver, and cursed. Ducking a wide swing from a orcish broadsword, Legolas reached down to pull out his elven daggers. The weapons fit snugly into his hands, and the attacking orc fell at his feet with a choking sound. The dagger fell from the creatures throat and Legolas used it to slash across the throat of an orc that thought it could sneak up on him.
With a quick thrust, Legolas threw his dagger right in between the eyes of the last orc. He looked around, and saw that Strider was still standing. Satisfied that his friend couldn't have been that injured since he was standing, the elf reached down to pick up his bow. Deft fingers ran over the curved spine, checking for imperfections in the wood, or damage it might have sustained when he was forced to drop it to the ground. Pleased when he could detect none, the golden prince moved to the dead body of the orc and pulled out his dagger.
As he straightened back up, Legolas heard his friend cry out. What he saw made him stop.
The grass was slowly being stained red with blood, and Aragorn ignored all of this as he knelt down next to his friend. For many years Aragorn had been wandering the wilds alone, and this young human man was one of the people Aragorn had gotten rather close to. Word said that this man was from Rohan originally, but for reasons unknown the man had moved to Bree in his youth. On one of Aragorn's trips to the town, he had gotten to know the young man, and the two had become friends.
Not long after Legolas had finally met up with friend again, the young man had been seen walking into Rivendell. Apparently there had been talk of a ranger heading this way, and he had decided to follow the word, hoping it would be Strider.
Aragorn grasped the pale hand in his own, and looked down to see the orcish scimitar sticking out of the mans stomach. Aragorn had been a healer long enough to know that he could do nothing for an injury as serious as this, but didn't want to accept that as he stared into his friends pain-hazed eyes.
"It will be alright Geollyn, I swear it."
Geollyn stirred at the words, and smiled weakly. "You need not lie for my sake Strider, no man has ever survived a scimitar to the stomach before-" his words were cut off by a sudden bought of coughing. Aragorn's concern grew as blood spilled over paling lips. Geollyn tried to open his lips to say more, perhaps to reassure his friend, but the light drifted from his eyes, and his head lolled to the side.
Aragorn's eyes darted back and forth over his friends' still face, and words failed him. He didn't notice when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, nor when a voice softly uttered his name.
"Strider..." Legolas called out softly when Aragorn pushed him back and started to work to pull the scimitar out of the dead body.
"If we can get this out, we can get him to my father and he will be fine." Legolas didn't know if he was talking to him or himself. He only knew that this denial wasn't healthy, and he had to make him see.
"Aragorn..." he whispered softly, and knelt down next to his friend as Aragorn worked harder to pull the weapon from the body.
"Help me here Legolas..." Legolas frowned and pulled Aragorn's hand away from the body. Aragorn shook him off, and started to pull the weapon again.
"Estel..." Legolas leant over and halted Aragorn's hand with his own. "I know you were close to Geollyn, but he has left this world. Let him go."
Tears started to burn at Aragorn's eyes, and he blinked them away. Casting a glare at Legolas, he turned away from his friend and resumed working over the weapon.
Legolas had had enough. When Aragorn nearly had the weapon out, Legolas seized Aragorn by the shoulders, and forced him up against a tree. "Now you listen to me Strider. I know you think that elves know very little about death, but even I can see when someone is no longer breathing." Legolas' voice was low and deadly, and he didn't allow Aragorn time to answer. "I know you are hurting Aragorn, but there is nothing you can do for him." When Aragorn opened his mouth to argue, and started to press against Legolas' hold, the elf closed his eyes briefly and mentally apologised for what he was about to do. Giving Aragorn no warning, he released his right hand and his fist connected with Aragorn's jaw. Aragorn's head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, and he fixed stunned; and slightly clearer; eyes on his friend. "Geollyn chose to leave this world, and now you have to let him go. Nothing you do will bring him back." Legolas fixed Aragorn with a penetrating stare, trying to figure out if any of his words had gotten through or not. He internally breathed a sigh of relief when Aragorn sagged against the arms that held him, his friends eyes finally clear.
Free from Legolas' grip, the human fell to his knees. With shaking hands he brushed the dark blond hair out of his friends' face, and placed a kiss on the cold forehead. Working silently, he started once again to pull the sword from the body, although this time he had no intention of healing his friend. Although his healer side rebelled against this, he knew that Legolas was right. There was nothing that he could do.
He wrapped up the bleeding wound as best as he could, and then rearranged the tattered tunic over the bandages. Legolas stood by and watched his friend prepare his friend. He knew that this was something Aragorn had to do.
Aragorn dug a hole in the ground, and committed the body back to where it came. Although he would have preferred to take the body back to Geollyn's native soil, he didn't know where that was.
As Aragorn started to pile the soil back into the hole, after gently laying Geollyn's body inside, Legolas started to softly sing an elvish song for the deceased.
As each word was sung, Aragorn felt the sobs he had been holding in threatening to spill over. But with each second that passed, he felt his control slipping, and soon he as sobbing softly over the patch of dirt that held his friend.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
Legolas stopped singing and knelt down next to his friend. He knew the power of elven songs, and had chosen that one specifically. Some brought joy, and others encouraged you to not turn away from your grief. The song was difficult to ignore, and he let his hand rest once more on Aragorn's shoulder as the human tried to regain control over his feelings. He moved slightly and faced his friend. Although Aragorn had more control over his emotions now than before, tears still slipped over his cheeks, and Legolas reached up with a slender hand to wipe them away. Shimmering eyes locked onto his, and Legolas smiled reassuringly, before drawing Estel into a hug. He gripped his friend tightly, and spoke quietly into his ear.
"Come on my friend, we have tarried here long enough."
Aragorn pulled away slightly and nodded. Redness still brimmed his eyes, but that should disappear before they would reach Imladris. "Hannon le Legolas."
Legolas nodded with a smile, accepting the thanks. Night had fallen long ago, and the light of the moon gave them both strength in the night.
Legolas fought back the rising feeling of fear as he was forced into the room. He would have done it again, without question, but now he was going to pay the price for it. He could feel the looks of the human on his back, and could hear the jeers of the orcs as they gathered around him.
His only comfort was that if the orcs were here with him, then they were not with his friends. His back jerked as the first stroke of the biting lash fell upon his back. The orc that held it had a secure grip, and bruising fists fell upon his ribs in between the strokes. Blood started to drip down his face, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his lips in an effort to silence the cries that welled up in his throat. The orcs were not happy with the fact that their prisoner had refused to cry out. Legolas raised his head weakly when he heard the orcs barking something to the room. One of the orcs walked forward, and Legolas tensed as they pulled out a bottle. He didn't have to think about it long to see that the bottle was filled with some kind of nasty concoction he didn't want anywhere near him. The orc that held the whip smirked and grabbed Legolas' arms. A long, thin welt ran down the length of his arm, and Legolas tried to jerk away from the arms that held him as the bottle was raised, and a few drops poured into the wound. The effect was instantaneous, and Legolas started to shake slightly as fire lanced up and down his arm. But still he would not cry out, and the rest of the bottle was poured over his chest. Sweat beaded along his forehead, and Legolas closed his eyes. He didn't want to show any kind of weakness to these creatures, but whatever that liquid was it lingered in the wounds and caused much more pain than he had thought. With another barking command, a smaller, thinner bottle was brought out, and rested against Legolas' lips. The prince tensed, and clenched his jaw. There was no way that he was going to drink that stuff, the smell alone being enough to put him off. Prarg growled, and swiftly punched the elf. His head snapped to the side, and the blow left him reeling. As Legolas tried to fight off the wave of nausea that blow brought, Prarg raised the bottle, and its contents dripped into Legolas' mouth. As soon as Legolas realised what they had done, he tried to spit out the mixture, but a gnarled hand was clamped over his mouth and nose. Legolas held his breath for as long as he could, but soon he started to feel light headed, and his body automatically swallowed the vile mixture in his mouth. The hand over his mouth was released, and he gulped in ragged breaths. With each breath, his throat burned, and he moaned softly as the fiery path spread to his stomach. All the muscles in his stomach rebelled at once, and the world swam before his eyes. His head lolled onto his shoulder, and his hearing started to go muffled. He wanted more than anything at that moment to retch, but his body was no longer responding to him at all. As the poison rushed through his blood, he found that he could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The orcs around him seemed to vanish to the prince, and all he could see were the walls in the room. With a grating sound, the walls started to move. Legolas started to pant and panic as the space he had left between him and the walls started to decrease. The air started to get very thin, and he tried to get away. Blood started to run down his arms as the elf scraped his wrists in an attempt to get away from something only he could see. The orcs were pleased with what they were seeing. Crana was a fungi found growing only on the slopes of Mount Doom. It was about the only thing that could actually be found growing there, and was well known for its hallucinatory properties. The effect varied from person to person, and they knew very little about it. With a smirk, Prarg started making more stinging wounds along Legolas' shoulders. This time he had coated the whip with the poison they used on his wounds, and he knew that it would only make things worse for the elf. Deep in his mind, Legolas jerked as the first hit registered. His eyes were large, and he couldn't stop the cry that was pulled from his lips. With the drug running through his veins, he could no longer see the orcs in the room with him, and each stroke was unexpected. A scream was finally pulled from his bruised lips as a dagger was pulled down the length of his back before being plunged into the soft skin at the back of his thigh. The dagger was swiftly pulled out, and Legolas' feet fell out from under him. His scream died away into a moan as his wrists were pulled in their restraints, and his shoulder jerked at the strain of supporting his weight. When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears Prarg raised the whip one more time, and the lash was just just about reach the prince when an orc was pushed into him from behind. Prarg turned around with a snarl, and backhanded the orc in question away from him. The orcs eyes widened slightly when he saw what was standing in the door. Prarg pointed the end of the whip at the human standing in the door, and commanded the orcs to attack. Pleased that they had something to fight, they all charged at the human. He ducked their blows, and countered with his own. His anger rising with each glance he saw of his friend. Prarg returned his attention to the groaning elf, and tightened the whip in his hands. The large, frightened eyes darted around the room, and his chest heaved with every breath that he took. The tipped end wrapped itself around the bleeding forearm, and Legolas moaned loudly as the thin lash bit into his skin. He tried to move away even though he could not see what was hurting him, and groaned as the injuries protested the movement. Still the walls kept closing in, and he lashed out against what was holding him. A foot connected, knocking the whip out of his hands. Prarg's eyes narrowed, and he decided to end this once and for all. Taking the dagger from his belt, he plunged it into the long gash on the princes' arm. Legolas jerked and screamed briefly before choking it off. The dagger was dragged downward following the gash, and then withdrawn swiftly. Growling into Legolas pale face, the orc raised the dagger to plunge it into Legolas' heart. He was surprised when there was a sudden pain in his back and he looked down to see an arrow sticking out through his chest. The dagger fell from his limp fingers, and the harsh light vanished in his eyes. Legolas groaned as gentle hands grasped him and removed his hands from the restraints. He realised that his head was laying in someone's lap. His gaze was drawn once again to the wall, and all he could see were the walls closing in. With a cry that was part pain part fear he pulled away from the arms, and tried to get away from the closing walls. Hands wrapped around his arms, and a pleading voice spoke into the room. Legolas couldn't see who was there, and fought against the arms. To him, there was no-one in the room, and the walls kept getting closer. "Legolas, I am here mellon nin, listen to my voice.." Aragorn looked at his friend with worry. Legolas' eyes were huge, and he seemed to be looking at something only the elven prince could see. It seemed to Aragorn that Legolas couldn't even see him at all. That worried the ranger more than the injuries he could see decorating Legolas' body. Those he knew he could heal, but the injuries to his mind, he wasn't sure about. Legolas retreated further into himself as the walls neared his body. The pain to his skin was reaching a fever pitch, and he couldn't see any way out. The voice constantly talking in his ears hadn't gone away, and he refused to listen to the words. But there was something about the voice that sounded worried, and Legolas began to listen. They were pleading with him to look at him, to come out of whatever world he had retreated into. Legolas frowned, and for once didn't pay attention to the scraping of the walls. With great effort he uncurled his body, and looked around the room. His breathing rate increased as he felt the first brush of the stone against his back, but he forced himself to ignore it and keep looking. Slowly the figure of Aragorn faded into view, and as Aragorn asked him if he was alright, the walls dropped back into where they should have been. I'd held your hand through all of these years Legolas finally allowed himself to relax and shakily gripped Aragorn's hand with his own, reassuring both of them that things were okay. Even though his injuries were still hurting, the pain didn't seem so bad now that his friend was here. But you still have
All of me
Legolas was finally allowed back into the room where Aragorn lay. Aragorn had been dressed in his best, as befitting a king, and Anduril lay in its scabbard by the side of the bed. He pulled over a chair, and sat down next to the bed. A single strand of hair was lying over Aragorn's eyes, and Legolas brushed it away.
His friends skin was cold, and he knew that it wouldn't be long before they came to send his body to the ground.
Legolas wished that he could have traded places with Aragorn. Aragorn had a family here, and all his elven family and friends had already sailed over the sea. He wondered how Elladan and Elrohir were faring, and glanced at the door. He hadn't seen them since they had asked that he leave the room. It was so strange to Legolas now, seeing Aragorn like this.
From the moment Legolas had met Estel, he had always come to rely on Aragorn being so lively, and to see him like this. So still, so quiet. It felt wrong.
You used to captivate me by your resonating life
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind Down in one of the hallways, Legolas heard someone walking. The tred was lighter than most men, but nowhere near as light as it could have been. Eldarion. Legolas felt another wave of sadness wash over him. He knew how much loosing his father had affecting Aragorn, and although Eldarion did have a elven mother, he was very much his fathers son. Legolas knew how much Eldarion would be weighed down by his, and resolved to help the child, as soon as he got his own feelings dealt with first.
Your face haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me Eldarion stopped outside of the door. The death of his father hadn't been sudden, not as such. They'd observed the deterioration of his health a few days ago, and Eldarion had been forced into acting as King as his mother hadn't been able to do much. In truth all this was new to him, and he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Elladan and Elrohir had tried to help, but were dealing with the loss of a brother. The hobbits were due any day now, and Eldarion found himself wishing for some company that wasn't as affected by this as he was.
Slowly, he pushed open the door to his fathers rooms. When he was troubled before he would go to his father, and he found himself doing the same now. The first thing he saw was Legolas sitting in a chair by the bed. The blue eyes were troubled, but hadn't wavered from his own.
Legolas had been an uncle to him, and had been there to teach him how to survive in the wilds. Behind his mother and fathers back of course. It wasn't that Legolas wanted to do this without their permission, but he knew both of them enough that they would wish their son to not be exposed to the horror of battle and war.
Although they lived in a time of peace, the ties binding all of the races together was fragile, and Legolas feared that one day a force strong enough to break it would come along.
Eldarion moved up to stand next to Legolas, and looked into his fathers face. Even now he looked so noble, and Eldarion didn't know if he could live up to the reputation his father had. If he could even accomplish what his ada had.
Suddenly feeling weary, Eldarion chose to sit in a chair near the door to the room. Through all this Legolas hadn't uttered a word, and the elf's eyes had strayed back to look at Elessar.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real There's just too much that time cannot erase The young man felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he wiped it away. His mother and the kingdom needed him now. His people needed him.
Outside a gentle rain had turned into a small storm, and the moon could no longer been seen through all the clouds. The winds whistled through the stone, and lightning cast flickering shadows over the walls.
With a heavy heart, Legolas walked heavily through the corridors of Mirkwood.
It seemed that lately, Legolas had been exposed to more and more death, and he didn't like it at all. The first this week was a small bird that had been found on one of Legolas' patrols. Both wings had been crushed, and whatever had had come across it had not been merciful. With a swift hand, Legolas had broken the small birds neck, and silenced its pain filled chirps forever. Orcs and fouler things had been making more trips into Mirkwood, and sadly some elves had been lost during the skirmish to protect the borders. Although Legolas had not known the elf personally, it still cut deeply to loose an immortal life. When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears The worst though was Niphredil, named as such for the snowdrops his body was first found in a few years ago. Legolas and Aragorn were on their way back to Mirkwood, and had come across a patch of snowdrops, and in the middle a hunters trap. The wolf cub had been not very welcoming at first, his actions spurred on by the pain in his leg. But Legolas had gotten through to him, managed to calm him down enough to release the trap. The wolf cub had remained still long enough for Legolas to pack the wound with the healing herbs they carried around with them, and they made a camp long enough to ensure the cub would be alright. But when they made to leave, the wolf cub followed them, and nothing either of them did made it leave. In the end Legolas had taken the cub in and decided to keep it. His reasoning being it wasn't safe for such a small creature in the woods injured, but Aragorn knew that this cub would be living in the palace as Legolas' pet. The cub had grown swiftly, and although Thranduil had been against the idea at first, he couldn't bring himself to cast the cub out either. It was this day though, that Niphredil had finally succumbed to age, and Legolas found his heart aching with each step he took. Aragorn walked along the hallway in search of his friend. He knew how dear Niphredil was to Legolas, and didn't want his friend to be alone. During the ceremony, Legolas hadn't cried a single tear. Although his eyes showed immense sadness, Aragorn knew that his friend had to acknowledge his grief. It wasn't safe for him to keep his feelings bottled up like this. Aragorn found Legolas in his room. The elf was sat on the bed, looking out of the window. His posture was slightly slumped, and his hands were wrapped around a drawing Aragorn had once made of Legolas and Niphredil. Aragorn reached down gently, and pulled the drawing out of Legolas' fingers. He remembered this day well, and couldn't help but think back to the fun they had had that day. Movement out of the corner of his eye made Aragorn look up, and he saw Legolas' shoulders shaking. His friends' hands were clenched together on the bed in an attempt to halt stop any tears falling, and Estel let his hand rest Legolas' before pulling his friend into a hug. Legolas stiffened momentarily, but Aragorn didn't pull away, and soon the elf prince allowed himself to relax into the friendly embrace. In the arms of his friend, tears fell from Legolas' eyes, and he looked at the drawing Aragorn had placed on the bed. Niphredil would always live in his heart, nothing could take away the memories he had of his friends.
Legolas pressed through the crowd to see his friend lying there on the bed. A ranger was not common in these parts, and so to for one to turn up in this town was big news.
It had taken Legolas a while to even get them to leave him alone and let them take his friend into a room. There had been a small altercation between some rival gangs in this town, and they had been unfortunate enough to be drawn in. Although they were both more than enough of a match for the men in the opposing group, Aragorn had been taken unawares and suffered a long gash from his thigh to ankle, and a nasty knock on the head. The men who they fought against fought using under-handed methods, Legolas gave them that much. During the last stages of the fight, they had called their surrender, and as Aragorn had stopped fighting one of them attacked him (causing the injury to the leg) and another caught Strider across the head with the pommel of his sword. Aragorn was just coming around when Legolas had finished ushering the last of the citizens out of the room. "It appears you are quite the celebrity in these parts my friend." Legolas smiled and moved to his friends' side. "What can I say, it's my winning smile."
"What ever it was, it couldn't have been your smell." Legolas frowned when he felt the wound. It was slightly hot to the touch, and he started to clean it out with some water he had taken from one of the villagers.
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years When Aragorn tensed, Legolas hurried to clean out the wound and bound it tightly. Aragorn groaned softly, and pressed his eyes shut. Legolas softly muttered "amin hiraetha," before starting to clean out the small gash to his friends forehead. As he bound the cut, and secured the bandage so it wouldn't come off, Legolas reached down and grasped his friends' hand. Although they had faced worse enemies than men, he had truly feared for his friend when he saw him fall to the ground. But you still have
All of me It had taken all the control he possessed not to outright kill the man he was fighting in an attempt to get to Aragorn's side quicker. He could see Aragorn fighting to stay awake, his body needing sleep now that all of the adrenaline had left his system, and started to sing a song that had been sung to him by his mother when he was a child. The song started to sooth Aragorn's tired body and mind, and his eyes slipped shut of their own accord. Legolas sat back into a chair that he had pulled over parallel to the bed, and took Aragorn's hand back with him. Sighing softly, the song faded away and his eyes glazed over.
Legolas raised his head in the room. Eldarion was sleeping soundly in the corner, having given in to his tiredness about half an hour ago. Although he had noticed it before, it hit home just how much Eldarion looked like his father.
Legolas closed his eyes, and let his head rest on his arms. Strands of his hair fell onto Aragorn's forearm, and he listened to the wind. Faces and memories of a time that could never be touched again appeared in his mind, and he wished once more than he could see his friend standing next to him. Telling him off for doing something reckless, or laughing with him over some thing or another.
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
Legolas knew that he was acting much the same as Aragorn had all those years ago. He didn't want to accept that his friend was gone. Didn't want to accept that he had lost yet another person who was dear to him.
But in his heart, Legolas knew he hadn't really lost Aragorn at all. Aragorn had told him once, as they sat in front of the fountain in the garden here, that when he passed from this world before Legolas did, that Legolas would never be alone. He would always be with him in spirit, if not in the heart.
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
A single tear slipped down his face, and landed on his hand. He regretted not telling Aragorn just how much he meant to him. Although he had looked out for the human all of these years, and had come to accept Aragorn as a part of his family, the elf had not really let him know that. He hadn't let him know that he saw him for a brother rather than a friend.
Gripping the hand one more time, he stepped away from his friend and walked to the window. Legolas wondered if Elrond had sensed something was wrong in Middle-earth. If he didn't sense that Estel wasn't here any more, then he had to have sensed his families sadness. Leaning partially out of the window, he glanced back to see if Eldarion had woken up. When he saw that the young man was still sleeping, he turned back to the window.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears I held your hand through of these years But you still have All of me
The elf had spent many years looking upwards like he was now, and each star was like a friend to him. But this night, there seemed to be one more star than he had seen before. This star shone brighter than all the others, and seemed to wink at him from the heavens.
The moons rays washed over him, refreshing him somewhat, and he closed his eyes. The breeze felt cool on his skin, and down in the garden he could hear animals running through the trees. With a small, sad smile on his face he opened his eyes and let his gaze wander over the shadows in the garden. A little way off he could see the light of the Evenstar walking through the grounds. Her face was sparkling in the moonlight with the tears that she had shed, and the veil no longer hung around her head. Elladan and Elrohir were walking behind her, and were talking softly. Their conversation didn't reach the elven prince from where he was standing, and he moved back into the room as they neared the palace doors.
Sitting back into the chair, he turned his gaze to his hands. Softly, so Eldarion would not wake, he began to sing. The lyrics were about the friend lying still on the bed, and it was something he had not sung for many a year.
When he was about halfway through the first verse, a slender hand gripped his shoulder, and Legolas looked up to see Arwen standing behind him. When his voice faded away, her voice picked up where he had stopped, and soon the pair were singing together.
Two more voices joined them as Elladan and Elrohir walked into the room. They separated and stood on each side of Arwen, their hands resting on Legolas' shoulder as Arwen's was. Legolas brought his hands up to grip theirs, and the song continued.
By this time, Eldarion had awoken, and watched with wonder as the four elves sang in the night. Tears started streaming down their faces as they weaved a song about an extraordinary man. A man who had brought so much to so many people.
As the melancholy notes drifted through the night air, animals and men alike stopped to listen. As the tone of the song shifted slightly, the song seeped into the hearts of the people. No-one was spared from the effect of the song, and soon the people of Gondor mourned again for a King they had lost.
Far away in the Undying Lands, Elrond stood with his wife. Whispers of a song danced around his ears, and tears pricked at his eyes. Celebrian's arm snaked its way around his waist, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Both recognised the song for what it was, and tears started to roll down the elven lords face as he knew his youngest son had been lost. The pain of his sons, his daughter and Legolas was imprinted into every word, and his heart ached to hear it.
Celebrian too had tears running down her face. She may not have known the man known as Aragorn, Estel to the elves, but she felt the love her husband held for the human each day. Grieving that she would never get a chance to meet this young human, she moved and let her head rest on Elrond's chest. Together they stood, their tears sparkling into the wind, and their voices joined in the song that started far away.
Six elven voices met in song, and a magic that was rarely seen weaved its way through the world. Although few knew what was going on, the feeling that something sad and something special was happened was clear.
When the song was left to drift on the wind, a lone whisper uttered by them all was heard softly.
"Namárië Estel..."
The End.