Author´s note:

Happy New Year to all of you and my apologies once again for the long wait; I don´t get to write as much as usual these days and have only been able to update because I´ve got the flu! Desperate Measures, eh... =)

This is the final chapter, short and sweet.

Enjoy!

--

Chapter 7: Love

--

Elrond walked through his gardens and enjoyed the scent of the flowers around him, rejoicing in the fact that it had finally become spring. The pale golden light held all the hope he had not dared to nurture in his heart for so long, inviting him to take a deep breath.

He found Legolas sitting on one of the stone benches, reading; he looked up as the older elf approached. Elrond sat down next to him: "Where is your shadow?", he asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Legolas laughed: that was what they used to call Aragorn when he was small and followed Legolas around everywhere.

"He is with the horses", he said.

Elrond nodded: Aragorn was spending a lot of his time with the foal.

"It is as I said at your arrival", he said. "You could not have come at a better time."

Legolas smiled: "The little one has found its way into his heart the moment he first saw it."

Elrond looked at him: "I am not talking about the foal, Legolas", he said. "I am talking about your being there for him."

Legolas felt himself blush: "I have done nothing out of the ordinary, nothing you and your sons have not done as well. I am sure that if it had not been for his family, Aragorn would not even have healed that well."

Elrond fondly smiled at him: "I do not deny that. There is a difference between family and friends, though, as friends are always made by choice whereas family usually is not. In Estel´s case, it is different, of course." he added. "But it is I who made the choice, not him. And how could I not have?" His voice trailed off, as he remembered the night which brought Aragorn into his life.

Legolas was lost in memories as well: "That is exactly how he and I became friends", he murmured. "How could I not have befriended that little boy who had won my heart so easily? I did not actually have a choice..."

"Maybe not. The matter of importance is that your friendship has lasted over all those years and has even become stronger, and that Aragorn still trusts you as he did when he was small. You have reminded him that love and friendship prevail over darkness and despair. You have driven away the darkness he was caught up in."

Legolas looked down on his hands to hide his embarassment while Elrond continued talking: "All those years he has been away", he said in a very low voice, as if speaking to himself, "facing whatever dangers were out there and being alone most of the time, have I wished to be able to reach out to him. A father never stops worrying about his child, even if it is not a child anymore." Only now did he look up. Legolas, catching the movement in the corner of his eye, did so as well, and their gazes met.

Elrond´s was solemn: "Thank you.", he said, still very low, then he got up and slowly walked away. Legolas looked after him, moved and slightly puzzled as well. He could only guess what a burden had been lifted off the elf-lord´s heart.

-

-

Aragorn watched the foal how it was exploring the pasture, never strolling too far from his mother´s side but examining every little wonder it found: an unusually long blade of grass, a molehill or simply the wind playing around its ears. The Ranger wondered if he would ever tire of marvelling at it, but that seemed simply impossible. The little one was still getting used to being outside and it was too lovely a sight when it broke into a gallop on its long, knobbly legs or quickly hid behind Alba if something spooked it.

Sometimes it came over to the man who was sitting in the grass, curiously nosing his face and allowing him to stroke it.

Aragorn had not decided on a name yet but there was no hurry. He did not feel the need to leave Rivendell as quickly as possible anymore, and while he was sitting in the warm spring sun he could hardly remember the fear and insecurity which had gripped him back in the middle of winter. He did not know what he would have done without his family, without Legolas, without their patience and their care, and he wondered how they had managed to endure everything that had happened. He had not heard any of them complaining even once, nor had any of them been impatient with him save the once time where Elladan had spoken a few unmistakable words, and Aragorn was grateful for all they had done.

They had not let him get defeated by said fear and insecurity because of the one thing it all came down to, the one thing which was much stronger than all negative emotions: strongly and overwhelmingly felt it now, while he was thinking of the ones close to him. And even though it could complicate things considerably, there truly was no greater gift in life.

Aragorn smiled.

--

The End

--