Author: MistofStars
Pairing: Legolas/Aragorn, if we ever get there ha ha...
Rating: T
Author's note: This has almost nothing to do with that what Tolkien wrote or with that what PJ's movies showed. So, yeah, I'm a liar coughs ... This chapter is very strange in my opinion. I don't know what I did, but I hope that you will like it anyway... ha ha...
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; this is all just a beautiful lie. I don't make money with this. Everything's made up! Totally made up!
Comments: Appreciated!
Chapter 2: Hopes and Fears
"Oh, shut up, Tifur! Of course there are trolls in Middle Earth! I have heard that even in this region some have seen trolls", Ethamar said, whereupon the dwarf Tifur sulked and crossed his arms.
"Well, I have also heard a lot of babbling in the last 150 years, Ethamar, but I have never seen a troll", the dwarf responded. With a proud gesture he smoothed his long grey beard. There was almost no way that the young human man could outdo his statement- Ethamar wasn't even 30 years old!
"Stop arguing, you two!", Alorfing laughed. The young elf had listened to their conversation, a small smile on his elfish lips.
Ethamar smiled to the blonde elf to his right side.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Alorfing. We shouldn't have started this discussion- We should have asked you in the first place! You are wiser and older than any of us", Ethamar winked. Alorfing laughed again and bowed his head to the human man.
"Come on, Alorfing- Who's talking nonsense?", Tifur grumbled with his low-pitched voice.
"Actually you're both right. There have been trolls in this region, yes; but I haven't seen one in the last 200 years. Still, you better believe in Ethamar's tales, Tifur! This man has travelled the world, and he has seen more strange things than some elves that are thousands of years old."
"That's right, Alorfing", a young man suddenly said, walking to the three persons that sat on benches near the stream of Rivendell. All three of them looked surprised into Aragorn's face. "Ethamar is pretty skilled in such things."
"Hear, hear!", Ethamar laughed and got up to hug Aragorn.
"Thanks to one of my fabulous teachers", he smiled at Aragorn.
Then the two men sat down on the benches to join the others. The last sunlight of the day shone on the last leaves and on the river benches of the elfish stronghold. Rivendell was as quiet and peaceful as ever. The first stars twinkled with their silver light. Sunset was near.
"To end this discussion I can tell all of you, that I have seen a troll indeed. Just two years ago I saw one, maybe a hundred miles away from Rivendell", Aragorn said.
"What did you do?", Tifur asked, unable to hide his excitement.
"Me?", Aragorn laughed. "Well, nothing. I was all alone and I had better things to do than starting a fight with a troll."
"Oh", Tifur said, a little bit disappointed. The dwarf had expected an adventurous fantastic story.
All at once a bell chimed clearly, summoning Rivendell's folk for supper.
The little troop wandered to the great dining hall, still chattering and jesting about this and that.
The sun had already disappeared when everyone had sat down on the long wooden table. Candlelight illuminated the happy faces brightly, wine was being handed. Soon everyone ate and drank to their hearts' content. Aragorn sat next to Lord Elrond, most silently watching Legolas, who sat at the other edge of the table. Quietly Aragorn sipped his wine, thinking about the pretty elf he observed. He mused that this stranger was a danger to him- not a pestilent danger, nor threatening- Aragorn felt more or less that Legolas could be dangerous to him for another reason: He seemed to be able to touch thoughts of Aragorn that he had hidden for a long time without saying much; and he didn't want them to be exposed again. He knew how horrible these thoughts could hurt him again, and it was threatening to think about them.
Elrond suddenly cleared his throat right beside him. He moved closer to Aragorn, inconspicuously saying:
"You're staring at my guest, Estel. I thought I had given you lessons in politeness." Elrond's words seemed serious, but when Aragorn looked into the elf's face he saw an amused smile. He returned the smile and drank again from his wine.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, but you have not introduced that stranger to me. We had a little conversation last night ... and there are some things about him that I don't seem to understand", Estel mumbled thoughtfully. With interest Elrond looked at Aragorn.
"What things?"
Before Aragorn answered Elrond's question he made sure that no one was listening to their conversation. Still every one made small talk without taking care of them, not even Legolas noticed that someone was talking about him. He laughed and talked with Alorfing, Ethamar and Tifur, who were arguing about a new topic.
Aragorn lowered his voice.
"Why did he introduce himself only with his name and not with his status? I thought he was the son of the King of Mirkwood..."
Elrond smiled knowingly, but Aragorn understood immediately that he wouldn't receive further information from him.
"I think it's better if you asked him yourself. But if you ask me... Well, consider the fact that you have also never introduced yourself to others as Aragorn. And I don't know the reasons for your behaviour, maybe it's fear or denial, but I guess only you are fully aware of your motivations. So... " Elrond sighed, "If you really want to learn his reasons, you should ask him."
(...)
All alone Aragorn wandered through Rivendell this night. He wasn't able to rest, not able to sleep, and the stars had seduced him with their sparkling light to join him. And so he walked under the dark shadows of the trees near the riverbanks, listening to the sweet sound of the flowing water. He felt the soft grass under his naked feet, breathed the cold and fresh air of the night and dwelled in his thoughts while he looked at the last leaves that hung on the branches of the trees, colourless in the gloom. A smile appeared on his mouth as he saw the white light of the moon shining on Rivendell's stream.
Rivendell showed its beauty each day and each night and there was nothing here that was not beautiful.
Suddenly Aragorn stopped and harked into the night. He was sure that he had heard something, someone.
After a few seconds he had decided that it must have been a strolling animal that had run into the coppice.
Just some moments later he heard something, again.
Finally he turned around and observed the surrounding bushes and trees.
"Whoever you are, come out and stop following me!" He said firmly, ready to face friend or foe.
Surprised he gasped when he saw Legolas coming out of the shrubberies, fighting with some branches.
Why in all the world did the elf trail him?
"I did not follow you", Legolas smiled, and Aragorn looked at his features sceptically, crossing his arms.
Legolas stood only a few feet away from him. His face was white in the moon's light and his hair seemed to glow in the dark.
Aragorn could not find any words while he was looking at him, too astonished to say something, too enchanted to dare speaking. Again he felt something like a force, radiating from the beautiful elf that stood right before him. Somehow he knew that this man could crush him like a wave colliding with the coast.
"Alright, I did follow you", Legolas sighed, still smiling. "But I didn't mean to!"
Aragorn just gave him an unfriendly gaze, not willed to trust Legolas yet. It was deep in the night, and every one was asleep.
A concerned look came upon Legolas' face. He had not meant to vex the human.
"Look, I ... I could not sleep. And so I thought it would be good to walk around for a while. You have to know that I love the night and I think Rivendell is quite a pretty place, so I wanted to have a look at it at night. And then I saw you, walking all alone near the river, and this seemed strange to me. You seemed so sad, I could feel it from a distance. And I thought that you, well, ... maybe you wanted to talk with someone." Carefully Legolas smiled at the man, who suddenly felt a certain feeling blooming inside of his chest. It lightened his troubled mind to receive the unconditional assistance of this stranger, and his smile seemed to wipe off all his worries.
"Actually I didn't come here to speak with somebody. But now that you're here I would be glad to converse with you."
Legolas smiled brightly and his blue eyes shined in the light of the moon.
"Then let us sit down right here by the river. It's a wonderful place; You can see the moon, the waterway and the far away mountains. I haven't seen these mountains in ages", Legolas responded.
"So you have been in Rivendell before?", Aragorn asked while sitting down in the grass, right next to Legolas.
Secretly Aragorn wondered about the age of the elf.
The elf smiled, not looking to him or answering him for a while.
"Yes, I have been here several times in my life. Still, it have been some hundred years since I've been here the last time.
And at that time there was no deepening shadow in the heart of all beings. War and agony were still unknown words for the common people. But nowadays every one seems to await calamities. They could be everywhere and come at any time to every of us", Legolas ended quietly and a sad sigh escaped his lips. Aragorn was surprised to hear such true words- words that no one else seemed to find so properly for the situation Middle Earth was put into.
All at once Legolas looked at Aragorn and smirked.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to bother you with this and bore you to death." He laughed for himself, and Aragorn was stunned to hear him laughing, because it sounded so extraordinary and relieving at the same time.
"No, you're not boring me", he assured quickly.
"Your words were mine in my mind. I feel this oppressive fear of all since a long time", Aragorn mumbled thoughtfully. Reluctantly Aragorn remembered the fights and battles in Eriador: The horror of war and killing had come over him, the death of beloved persons, the pain, misery, the exertions in the wilderness... His years in exile had forced him to grow up. And he knew that it was just a question of time for the real outbreak of war.
"So you have been a fighter, I guess." Legolas asked inquisitively. Aragorn was surprised.
"What gives you the reason to think that?"
Legolas' face came closer, and firmly he stared into Aragorn's eyes, reading them as if they were an open book.
"I see it in your eyes. I see that you have killed many and that you have lost others."
A sad feeling grew inside of Aragorn's chest and he nodded without saying further words.
"Yes, I know that feeling", Legolas sighed after observing Aragorn's face for a few seconds. Confused Aragorn looked into Legolas' sorry face and he felt distressed to see this pretty and noble elf with such a countenance.
"At home it's one of my duties to defend and protect the frontiers of Mirkwood. Sometimes we had to fought with gatecrashers, but mostly we've been busy with several troops of goblins. And even though my soldiers are skilled with the bow and arrow or even the blade I have lost some of my men in the last centuries."
Legolas' eyes seemed far away. Aragorn harrumphed, blushing.
"Excuse me, but isn't this task a little beneath you?"
Legolas frowned and smiled, giving Aragorn an amused side glance.
"First of all it's my explicit duty to control and lead our soldiers. So I could not reject this so easily. On the other hand I wouldn't want to spend all my days in the royal chambers. I do not only fulfil my obligations, I also exhilarate myself. Though I must add that every joy seems to be inseparably connected with grief and losses."
Filled with indignation Aragorn rose to his feet.
"How can you risk your life so unmindfully? Haven't you thought about the deprivation you would bring to your people if you died? Why does King Thranduil allow such behaviour, such silly duties? I thought you were-"
"Aragorn, sit down. Calm down", Legolas interrupted the human. Confused and surprised about his behaviour he blushed and obeyed the immortal's instruction, feeling like an complete idiot. Fortunately Legolas didn't seem to take Aragorn's words amiss- his face was as friendly as before, his eyes still smiled kindly at Aragorn.
Nonetheless Aragorn mumbled "I'm sorry", whereupon Legolas laughed.
"No, I should be sorry I guess. I haven't told you all about me and so you've thought completely reasonable."
For a few moments both of them remained silent. Carefully Aragorn examined the elf that sat next to him, wondering what secrets his mind beheld. He had forgotten about his own fate and his own troubles through their conversation, drifting more and more into questions about Legolas. Somehow Aragorn sensed that the elf was carrying a heavy burden. It appeared to him that Legolas tried to hide or forget some of his sadness and underneath his laughing something bothered him. Aragorn did not know why, but he wanted to know Legolas' secrets so badly that it almost hurt not to ask about them.
All at once a sentence came back to the man's mind, words that the elf had spoken only one or two nights ago.
"You have told me that our fates are similar." He smiled at the elf, hoping to get more information out of him.
"Has now the time come to explain your statement?"
Legolas' eyes met Aragorn's with such clarity that the human felt pierced by them. They were like a lightening illuminating the black vault of heaven so unexpectedly, that it was a shock to everyone to be bedazzled that brutally- Nonetheless not many were able to escape the loveliness of such a spectacle and they kept their eyes on the hurting light, trying to comprehend nature's given painting. Aragorn felt that drawn to these elfish eyes that he was forced to keep staring at them, although there was no expression to be seen in the elf's blue eyes.
"I didn't think this was so hard to understand", Legolas said kindly, but it was clear that his courtesy veiled some unspoken sorrow of his heart.
"I'm aware of your ancestors and your claims, Aragorn. Elrond has spoken to me about, and so has my father. Our fathers are known men, and it is obvious that there are people looking up to us, expecting us to follow the paths they have foreseen for us..."
Thoughtfully Legolas looked to the million stars that dwelled so peacefully and brightly in the sky. His face had changed into a worn and apprehensive mask which worried Aragorn.
"And so many forget that we are the only ones to make such decisions...", Legolas mumbled silently.
"I didn't know you have to arrive at a decision too", Aragorn responded surprised and again Legolas' charming eyes met his.
Without shame Legolas took Aragorn's hand gently and held it loosely in his. Aragorn blushed and looked away. He was embarrassed to feel the warmth of the immortal's hand, to feel the softness of his skin and being so close to him. It gave him a cosy sensation inside of his body he did not understand. It made his heart pump harshly against his chest.
"Mirkwood has no crown prince yet. After hundreds of years I'm still not sure if I want to be the one to follow in my father's footsteps. I prefer a loose living ... and I don't want to make orders to others voluntary...I don't know if I'm equal to this occasion. Maybe I never will be."
Because he couldn't think of anything comforting to say Aragorn clasped Legolas' hand carefully.
A suggestion of a smile came to Legolas' lips as a respond to Aragorn's deed.
"I have heard that you're also not able to make a decision yet. Some say you tried to run away from your destiny...", the elf said quietly.
"And they might be right", Aragorn answered and a ripple of laughter escaped his mouth.
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to come to a conclusion. I think I'm still waiting for a sign that gives me hope and the will to achieve what I should achieve. It's just... I haven't asked for this position and I don't want to fight for things I don't desire."
"Me neither", Legolas smiled and his fingertips caressed Aragorn's as innocently and as soothingly as possible.
"Others may say whatever they want", Aragorn continued, forcing himself to ignore Legolas' tenderness.
"But the years in exile have made me understand who I really am.
I am Estel and I'm Aragorn at the same time. The name doesn't change who I am. Still, I am lost and unsure about the future. I can only wait for time to bring me a signal..."
Legolas laughed quietly.
"Yes, I have thought so too. And there was nothing in the last hundreds of years that would have made up my mind...
Anyway, it's useless to think about situations we can't comprehend. I believe it's fortune that brought us two together, and it might be that this fortune will give us a clear course soon. We have to trust in that... My heart tells me that it's the only hope we can have."
In agreement Aragorn nodded his head. And then silence fell between the elf and the mortal.
It was a peaceful calm and it gave them so much more than their clumsy and careful words.
Their words had shown their fears and sorrows; the stillness instead comforted, and it tried to ease their minds, begging them to find inner peace for a few moments. Aragorn thought about the given picture they had drawn for any possible viewer:
An elf and a human man, holding each other's hand like lost and scared children, looking up to the bright moon, listening to the endless song of the nearby river. He smiled. Legolas' presence seemed good and right, and they didn't need to speak further words. These two were equals and they understood each other's destiny.
Finally Legolas sighed and smiled again, and the moment he looked into Aragorn's face his eyes seemed to laugh.
The young man could recognize the freedom and peace they beheld, and he was glad. Nonetheless tiredness weighted his bones.
"Mellon nin, it's been a pleasure talking to you. I may say that I can sense already that you understand me like no other- and that means something, if you get me", Legolas winked.
"I understand", Aragorn replied with a smile. He felt pride and happiness grow inside of him.
"And I thank you, friend. And I call you friend because I think that's what I found in you today."
The human was surprised that he was speaking so freely about his feelings. Legolas' face suddenly wore a serious expression and he brought Aragorn's hand to his lips and kissed it so softly that Aragorn stopped breathing for a second.
"Thank you", the elf answered, and then he let go of the man's hand and lay down in the meadows.
Confused Aragorn observed the elf's behaviour for a while, still too astonished to dare talking. He felt like flying- his back of the hand still burnt with the fire of the elf's sweet mouth- and how did this lighten his heart! He examined Legolas' pretty features: the closed lids, the slightly opened lips and this pale, valuable white skin that only knew beauty.
After all he understood what Legolas was doing.
"You want to sleep outside?", he asked shocked, and Legolas opened one eye and looked at him.
Then the elf chuckled a bit and closed his eye again.
"Of course, silly. Why not?", he mumbled quietly.
"It's the end of autumn, as you know. The nights can be really cold."
"Elves don't feel the cold, honey", Legolas answered with a grin.
"I wish I could say this about mankind also..."
"Well, if you want to sleep outside too you can have my cape. It's as warm as any blanket."
Happily Aragorn accepted the offer because he loved to sleep outside. Since his years in exile houses felt like cages.
And so the elf sat up and unfastened his green cape and handed it to the human.
When Aragorn lay on the grass, wrapped up in the beautiful cape, he could smell the sweet and clean scent it beheld.
He inhaled this wonderful perfume and suddenly he felt so safe and enchanted that he couldn't come up with words for his recent incomprehensible emotions. He turned to his side to look after Legolas, but the elf was already asleep. It took a while and a few more thoughts about his new acquaintanceship until Aragorn drifted into the land of dreams too.
(...)
The early morning's light came to Rivendell. White fog flew over the river like a ghost, gently kissing the floating water with its icy breath. The leaves of the trees dropped the night's dew. Coldness filled the air and froze the green grass by the river.
And so Aragorn awoke in the early hour of sunrise. His whole body shivered and the cold had reached his bones. Shuddering he looked into Legolas' severe and still sleeping face and he smiled when the elf's soothing words came back to his mind:
"It might be that this fortune will give us a clear course soon..."
While he thought about these encouraging words he didn't notice that Legolas was waking up. Just when the elf poked him Aragorn jumped and looked into Legolas' grinning face.
"Morning", the elf laughed and Aragorn smiled. Soon both of them sat up and viewed the red sunrise. They shared Legolas' cape and moved together, for it was still cold. Even Legolas could feel the freshness of the air and the biting teeth of the morning wind. Finally the red sun turned orange, and then yellow rays of light shone on the dark spruces. The river was a ever floating golden stream. Nearby birds chirped happily and then the sun warmed the green grass and so it came that Aragorn and Legolas didn't have to freeze anymore. All the time they were watching the awaking of the day they had not spoken a word.
But now Aragorn felt Legolas taking his hand again. And they smiled at each other- pleased to be exactly where they were. And from this day on they were the best friends.
To be continued
Well, I told you that it is a strange chapter... A lot of babbling and nonsense, right? I think I won't write that much dialogs in the next chapter... +grumbles+ And Legolas kissed Aragorn's hand! x screams hysterically in astonishment x
So, anyway, please tell me what you think
