Greetings my friends! I return with another chapter! I hope all of you enjoy! Sorry for the delay! :( It didn't feel right no matter what I did, so I have given up and I'm just gunna post it as it is. Sorry if it's not up to par...
Takes place while the fellowship is in the Mines of Moria.
...
It was quiet in Moria. Quiet, and cold.
It wasn't the natural kind of silence either, it was a silence that spoke of death.
But was that such a shock? Moria was, after all, a tomb.
Sam shivered as he lay in his pile of blankets. It was cold yes, but he did not know if the chill or his fear was the true reason for his chattering teeth. He dare not sleep either way, for the darkness was looming and great, and even though his body was tired, his mind could not master the control to rest under its watch.
Searching for distraction, roaming eyes landed upon two figures, who spoke quietly to one another.
One was a tall, brown-haired man garbed in dark clothes of a ranger. His eyes were a warm hazel in color and on his hip was a sheathed sword.
The other was a lean elf with long golden tresses, and eyes of a most brilliant blue. Even in the deep dark of Moria, Sam could see the green-clad figure clearly, for the archer glowed faintly in the dark.
Aragorn and Legolas, thought the halfling.
It seemed as if they were arguing, or- at the very least- in disagreement. The ranger kept whispering furtively to the elf, occasionally gesturing to the blonde warrior's pack, only for the golden head to shake in what could only be an emphatic no.
The mutterings continued until Gandalf spoke up, his old, gravely voice loud enough so that all could hear.
"Go to sleep, Thranduilion." *
Legolas stared imploringly at the wizard, his pleading voice echoing in the quiet hall.
"But, Mithrandir, I-" **
"I know, Legolas, I know."
None but the elf saw the slight softening in the wizard's eyes. And the next words were a mere murmur, so none but the elf could hear them.
"Rest, Legolas, for new challenges shall arrive come morning. You are not alone in these darkened halls, and you would do well to remember."
The blonde nodded slowly, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. *** Aragorn gave a relieved smile and gently knocked heads with Legolas. Then the man headed to the edge of the campsite, presumably to relieve Boromir from guard duty.
Reluctantly, the elf wandered over to his pack and placed his weapons down beside it. In silence, he leaned back against a large stone pillar and stared upwards, his gaze fixed on a ceiling no one else could see.
Sam watched in silence, for it appeared that he was not the only one who found no sleep in the deep darks of Moria.
He cast a sideways glance at Frodo- unwilling to leave his master, should be needed- but the ringbearer was, for once, sleeping peacefully, and so Sam gathered his courage and headed over to sit next to the softly glowing form.
The elf, upon his arrival, raised a single eyebrow in question.
In answer, the hobbit whispered, "I couldn' sleep."
The blonde nodded knowingly, going back to relaxing against the pillar, pale eyelids closed.
There was something wrong with the immortal, that much he knew. Legolas had never seemed so tired, so vacant from the world around him. The yellow flare that surrounded his lean figure was faint, as if it might flutter out at any moment, and he was paler than the halfling remembered.
If he hadn't known better, he might of assumed the warrior was sick, but elves could not become sick, for it was not in their nature
At least, that was what he had heard.
Sam cleared his throat, and a sky blue orb revealed itself.
"I was wondering, ah, uh… Mister Legolas, sir, if I could ask a question." ***
"Just Legolas."
The halfling faltered, his confusion clear on his face, and asked, "What?"
The elf faced him fully now, his face featuring a gentle smile, and said again, "Just Legolas, Master Samwise, I am no 'Mister', or 'Sir'. Not to you. Not to anyone in this company. I am simply 'Legolas'."
The hobbit gaped up at him, but then he closed his mouth with an audible snap. Determination settled onto his normally gentle features, and he replied, "Then you must call me Sam, cause I'm no "Master", not at all."
The archer gave him a small smile, and nodded his comprehension.
"Very well then, Sam it shall be."
The halfling grinned- To think he was speaking with an elf!- and tentatively asked again, "So may I ask ya a question, Mist- I mean, uh, Legolas?"
"Of course, Sam."
Originally, he was going to inquire on why the elven warrior seemed so ill, so tired, but then he saw how pale and exhausted Legolas' face was, and could not bring himself to do it. Sam felt as if the archer had enough trials already without a hobbit pestering him, and so he asked of less troubling things.
"I was just wonderin what your home was like, that's all…"
The blonde's lips flickered into another smile, and he began by saying, "My home is the woodland realm, Samwise, the kingdom of Greenwood the Great. My father, King Thranduil, rules the land…"
Sam listened with a quiet awe as the elf described towering trees and giant butterflies. As he recreated the roaring waterfalls and the glistening glades. As he spoke of his father and of his people, the celebrations they held and the food they ate.
Sam listened as the he created the elven realm around them, his only tools his voice and his memory, and the hobbit almost felt as if he had left the mines all together.
And then the magic was broken, for Legolas was leaning towards him and asking, "What of the Shire? What is your home like, Sam?"
"You want me to tell you of the Shire?" he squeaked, and the blonde smiled a small hopeful grin, his eyes shining with a spark that the hobbit did not even know was missing until it returned, and the hobbit found himself agreeing for how could he refuse that?****
And so Sam tried. He spoke of siblings and cousins, of small little round houses and of Merry and Pippin's antics. He spoke of huge hobbit feasts and birthday parties that happened every week. He spoke of Rosie, and just how beautiful she was. He spoke of small rolling hills dotted with chimneys and doors. He spoke of stout trees and emerald grass and his little garden and how he hoped it still bloomed.
He spoke of many things, one after the next, until he could think of no more, and only then did he turn to the elf, hoping beyond hope that he had satisfied him.
Legolas had maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position at some point during the tale, and now he layed on his side curled into a tight ball. His head rest on the ground besides Sam's knee, and his eyes were open and glazed over…
He did not look as if he was breathing.
The hobbit almost screamed- Legolas is dead!- but a gnarled hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Gandalf crouched next to him, a finger pressed against his lips. Quietly, he whispered in the halflings ear, "There is no need to fret, Samwise, he is only sleeping."
Sam stared at the wizard incredulously, for could he truly not see?
"His eyes are open, Gandalf!"
"I know. That is how elves sleep. His soul wanders through his memories, or perhaps he explores the shire you have just so aptly described… Oh, do not look at me like that Samwise, I am not some old coot. If you will look, you will see him breathing."
Shooting one last incredulous glance at the wizard, the hobbit peered down at the blonde's chest, starting visibly when he noticed the nearly indecipherable movement of the elf's chest.
Gandalf smiled at him smugly.
"And he's alright?"
"Yes Samwise."
Slowly, the gardener leaned back, his pounding heart finally stopping its desperate dance. Legolas was fine, he wasn't dead. Sam had not killed him.
The shuffling of fabric drew his attention back to the present, and he watched as Gandalf stood and retrieved a folded cloth from the archer's pack.
Gently, the wizard lifted Legolas' head and placed the folded cloth underneath it. The elf immediately stirred and started to shift, but he placed a palm on the pale forehead and muttered something under his breath, causing the blonde to settle once more.*****
The hobbit looked on, a small frown of concern marring his feature.
"What's wrong with him, Gandalf?"
The question was asked quietly, but it was filled with worry and fear for their companion, and so the wizard did his best to explain, his keen blue eyes shining with a sadness few could understand.
"Elves are not meant to be locked away in the dark caverns of old. They belong amongst the sun, the trees, and the stars, where they can hear the beat of Ilύvatar's Song and embrace the threads of life that connect us all. To be shut off from it, to not be able to feel the rhythm thrum through their bodies… It is not good for them. Especially for the wood elves, for they are so tightly woven into the Song that it has become apart of their very essence..." ******
Here the elder stopped, his eyes straying to the sleeping figure that lay beside them.
"You did well, Samwise Gamgee, for Legolas has not rested since we entered the mines, and I had feared he would not rest until we were beneath the open skies once more."
With no response from the shocked halfling, Gandalf stood and walked away.
Sam stared at the prone elf, his mind racing with a thousand new questions and thoughts, but then he shook his head and wandered off to his pile of blankets; there would be time for questions another night.
He tucked himself in, made sure Frodo was still safe in his slumbers, and yawned. Distantly, he could see a faint glow from Legolas' corner, and Sam smiled as he fell into the realm of dreams, where great trees towered and butterflies danced to a lively song that no one else could hear...
...
So, yeah. There you go... I'm finding it very meh... (Which makes me sad cause I love Sam soooo much...) Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it better.
Notes:
*Thrandulion basically means "Son of Thranduil"
**Mithrandir is the elvish name for Gandalf
***I felt as if Legolas, being an elf, would almost always take guard duty and hunting duty and scouting duty and all that- cause he has the superior senses and stamina- and because of this he wouldn't get a lot of time to really get to know the hobbits. Hence why Sam still acts uncomfortable and shy.
****Legolas would have the best puppydog eyes EVER! No one can convince me otherwise.
*****Did I write Gandalf to OCC!? I don't know. I find it adorable either way. Also, I think Gandalf would have known Legolas since he was really small, and that shows itself here.
******I have not a single bloody clue if any of this is correct. PLEASE! Yell at me if I screwed up. Also, some info about Iluvatar: His name, Eru Iluvatar, means "One Father of All". Eru is the Creator of the entire universe, all of Arda and Valinor. He sang the Valar into being and gave them their abilities. He cast Melkor into the Void. (Thanks to BlackWolf Lityalle for the definition!)
So there we are! As always, I want to thank each and everyone of you for reading this, and I really hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are always nice, just saying, but I won't throw a fit if none come. (I would like if they did come, though. They make me happy. *puppydog eyes*) Any feedback is greatly appreciated, whether it be good or bad.
Time for the shout outs!
Okay, HUGE Thank you for my new favoriters and followers: kdpesta, kit572, Amonshy, sarahkitten1, SelarahMorgan, and coophelie. These people are SOOOO AMAZING! :D (AND IS THAT NOT A HUGE LIST! THERE ARE SO MANY! GAAAAH, IT SO BEAUTIFUL!) And then there are my old followers and favoriters, who are just as fabulous and incredible! Seriously, what did I do to deserve you guys? YOUR ALL SO FANTABULOUS!
Only a couple reviewers this time, the ever faithful WriterGirl7973 and Andy the willow tree. You guys rock. Thank you SOOOO much for reviewing. :) It really made my day to hear your comments, and you have my eternal gratitude.
So that's it, I think the next chapter might take a little longer than usual cause I need to think of an idea for Frodo, so just keep that in mind. I am so grateful for every single person who read this, and I hope it lived up to your expectations!
THANK YOU! :D
-The Mashpotatoe Queen