Chapter Nineteen

Legolas went still, and remained silent for a long time. Let her go, he thought in desperation. How can I do that? I love her! Finally, Legolas stood. "You may be right, Gandalf. I don't know if I can do that," he whispered.

"But you must!" Gandalf said urgently.

"Why!" Legolas yelled. "Why should I give up the one person I truly love?"

"Because if you don't Legolas, you are a fool!" Gandalf said. "And you'll be a lonely one, for if you don't let her go now, you will loose her. If she dies in her world, her dream will end, and you and everything you see will cease to exist. Remember, we are a dream of hers, in her dream, we aren't real."

"She'll die?" Legolas cried in horror, and swallowed hard, knowing he had to release her when he saw Gandalf nod sadly.

"You see, the only way to save her is to let her go," the wizard said softly. "You are the only one who can."

"I-I don't understand," Legolas said quietly. "How can I be the only one who can save her?"

"You are the only one who can release her because she has found a connection with you," Gandalf said quietly. Legolas inhaled sharply. That night, he thought. "I know what you're thinking," Gandalf said. "I assure you, the connection she found and forged with you was not that night in the cave. No, she forged this bond with you, the real you, by reading the book Tolkien wrote."

"But that doesn't make sense," Legolas said in confusion. "There must have been many men and women who read that book. Why do they not hold a bond with me and the others here?"

"Because, in reading of you," Gandalf said. "Haehithien, as you call her, truly fell in love with you. She fell in love with every part of you. She saw you not only as a warrior, but also as a gentle, caring soul. It was your pure soul, and caring nature that attracted her to you. It was this attraction that allowed her to see past the physical beauty that was gifted to the Elven people," he said truthfully. "You are not blind, even when things are not as clear as they could be, Legolas, you see the underlying questions. To answer your question, the reason others do not have the same bond, especially with you, is because they cannot see past your physical appeal."

Legolas smiled slightly. "I knew there was something I liked about her that I couldn't put my finger on," he said softly. "I know now that I must do as you ask, and let her go. I still have one question though."

"What is it that you wish to know?" Gandalf inquired.

"If I release her," Legolas asked and swallowed dryly, fearing Gandalf's answer. "Will I ever see her again?"

"Actually," Gandalf said. "There is a possibility, if you do as I say. Your connection won't be severed when she awakens. You will still be able to talk to her; she will be able to hear you as though you are right next to her. I believe that Orlando will also be able to hear you, though you must choose your time for speaking with either of them carefully, for no one else will be able to hear you, and speaking to them when it is not safe could cause more problems if either answers you at the wrong moment," Gandalf said seriously. "For this reason, Ilúvatar will allow you to see and hear all that goes on in their world around them. It will be as though you are really there with her."

"If it is like that," Legolas asked swallowing hard. "W-will I be able to touch her?"

Gandalf looked at his friend sadly. "I'm sorry, my friend," he said. "I don't think that will be possible. You will be as a spirit in her world. Like a phantom or ghost." Gandalf tried to console his friend when Legolas cried out in anguish. "I believe there is a way for you to touch her again though, but you'll have to work hard for it. You have to get them together, but it will not be easy. There is a great distance between them. Your first task will be to get her healer to either release her or send her to the city where he lives. A place called London, which is a large city which is an ocean apart, and then some, from where she is now."

Legolas sighed through a sob as he looked up at his friend. "But Gandalf," he said. "How will doing this allow me to touch her, kiss her again?"

"Legolas, you have a connection with Orlando Bloom as well, a connection that was established when he was brought to Middle Earth to meet with us and Tolkien," Gandalf explained. "With this connection, you are able to speak to him. It is also through this connection, that once you get them together, your essence will blend with his, and the two of you will be as one."

"I'm sorry Gandalf," Legolas whispered as he got to his feet and started pacing. "I'm trying to understand everything you're telling me, but I don't. I'm at a loss over what you said about Tolkien and how he came to Middle Earth."

Gandalf sighed in frustration. "I'm trying to make it as clear as I can for you," he said. "But even I don't understand everything, as I've told you."

"I know, my friend, and I apologize," Legolas said. He sighed heavily, and cleared his mind. "Alright, start again."

Gandalf shifted his position on the log, and cleared his throat. "I was told by Ilúvatar that Tolkien visited Middle Earth at one time and wrote a book about the very quest Haehithien is imagining," he said.

"Ok," Legolas said. "This is where I got confused. How could he be here writing about it when it was already finished in his own world?"

"Well," Gandalf said. "The way that I understand it, he came to Middle Earth to write it, but didn't stay long, only a month, and as I said, there is a large difference in time. A week in Middle Earth is only a little over an hour in their world. That's how the book was written so quickly. He learned a lot over the month he was here and took his parchment back to his world to finish it. After his fourth visit, he never returned, and it was then assumed he'd passed on from his world."

"Ok," Legolas said. "I understand that now, but how was it that Orlando got to meet with him, if all you say is true, there is no way Orlando could have lived in their world at the same time Tolkien did."

"Ah yes," Gandalf said with a smile. "You see, this also has a little bit to do with the difference in time between Middle Earth and their world. After Tolkien went back to spread his tales of Middle Earth, he returned for a time. During that time in Middle Earth, it was merely a few years in his world. He left again, and wrote more histories for Middle Earth for his world, they too were looked upon as fantasies. During his third stay, more years passed in his world, and it was in that time that Orlando came to exist. He grew into a man and started working in movies. During the time that Tolkien was here, he tried to find you, but couldn't. The real Gandalf suggested a summoning and Orlando was brought to Middle Earth while he was on the site that the movie was being made, and you are thinking that by this time, the book had to be finished right?"

"That's true," Legolas said with a nod of his head, and sat next to Gandalf.

"Well, it wasn't," said Gandalf in truth, and Legolas looked up in surprise. "Ilúvatar's abilities are great, and with his help, time was turned, to bring Orlando here to meet with Tolkien. After their meeting, Ilúvatar turned time once more and sent Orlando back to his own time in his world, his memory altered so that if he remembered what happened in Middle Earth, he would believe it to be a dream. Along with that result, the turning of time also did something else…"

Legolas looked at Gandalf in wonder. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "What? What happened?"

Gandalf chuckled at his friend's curious enthusiasm. "The turning of time also provided the answer for how the story of Middle Earth was finished and was made into a movie. You see, Tolkien was sent back to his own time as well; there his memory was altered as well. He had pages upon pages of notes from his time in Middle Earth, and didn't know how he'd gotten them. He thought perhaps that he had been asleep although he couldn't figure out how one could write in their sleep. Finally, he gave up trying to figure out where they'd come from and instead, sat down and wrote the tale. It was then looked upon as a fantasy as I've told you, although it was claimed to be 'the greatest ever written'. Not long afterward, in Middle Earth's time anyway, he passed from the circles of his world, and even though they were separated by time in their own world, Orlando Bloom and the writer of the tale labeled 'an epic', J.R.R Tolkien met in Middle Earth." Gandalf paused and watched Legolas nod his head for a few moments as he gazed at the ground. "Do you understand now?" the wizard inquired.

Legolas nodded. "Yes, I believe I do," he said with a sigh as he pushed himself up from the ground then away from the log. "Alright, I'll do it. What do I need to do?"

Gandalf smiled sadly at his friend, knowing it was hard for him. "You must tell her that you release her, that's all. Then, she'll awaken in her world, and you will be given the knowledge you need to guide her to Orlando," he said. "Once they meet, he will be filled with the memories of what the two of you shared here. Like the memory of his journey to Middle Earth, this will be like a dream he once had."

"Are you sure?" Legolas asked uncertainly. "Are you sure this will work? I still don't fully understand how this will allow me to be with her again, but I'll do it."

Gandalf nodded. "All will be revealed to you once they meet. You must do this soon; her healer has done all he can do to get them together with no avail. You can tell her now; she is only sleeping, after all. While she is here, it won't matter if she's sleeping or awake."

Legolas sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright," he said. "I'll do it." With that, he and Gandalf headed back to camp.

Dusk had already fallen by the time they arrived, and Gimli was sharpening his ax while Aragorn stared into the flames of the campfire he'd built near where Haehithien still slept. Legolas realized then how hard Aragorn's rapid pace had been on her, or was it as Gandalf had said, he wondered. Gandalf went to join Aragorn and Gimli at the fire while Legolas went and sat next to Haehithien, his princess. He started to talk to her when another thought invaded his mind. Eletharanna was coming. He stood abruptly and walked over to Gandalf where he sat at the fire.

"Gandalf," Legolas said. "Something doesn't seem right." Gandalf looked at him imploringly as Aragorn and Gimli started to move away. Legolas motioned them to stay, however, and they slowly sat back down looking at him curiously. "While we were in Lothlorien I received a disturbing vision from Ilúvatar," he continued in a hushed voice.

Gandalf cleared his throat. "Legolas," he said quietly. "I thought we already talked about this. We're running out of time."

Legolas raised his hand to gently quiet his friend. "I know," he said. "I know. However, this vision wasn't something she could possibly know. That's why it doesn't feel right."

Aragorn and Gimli looked curiously at Legolas. "Well," Gandalf asked. "What was this vision?"

"Is there something you've talked about that we're missing?" Gimli asked gruffly, raising his eyebrow as he looked from Legolas to Gandalf and back.

Legolas shrugged. "Might as well tell them," he said to the wizard. "That way what I have to say will not make sense to just me."

Gandalf sighed as he slowly rose to his feet. "Legolas and I spoke of what Ilúvatar told me when I was promoted among the Istar. It was concerning the girl," he said flatly.

"What about her?" Aragorn asked. He was never one to question the wizard, but this proved yet again that they were right that Ilúvatar had sent her, and his curiosity was piqued.

"Look around you," Gandalf said quietly, and none questioned him, but did as he said. "What do you see?"

"The sun setting over the forest," Gimli said gruffly, and Gandalf nodded.

"Alright," Gandalf said. "What I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but it is true. Everything that you see; even yourselves, are figments of the girl's imagination, as I have told Legolas. He is the only one with the ability to help her. Yet, still he refuses. Now, Legolas," the wizard asked, peering at him keenly. "Why do you refuse?"

All eyes were on Legolas as he prepared to defend himself in this debate. "If what Gandalf says is true, then she knows everything about us from a book she's read, that was written by a man from her world that actually visited Middle Earth, and wrote of our quest," Legolas said. Aragorn and Gimli both looked up in shock, while Gandalf only nodded. "Yet I say that is, or part of this cannot be true!"

"And why is that?" Gandalf asked loudly, making everyone jump and turn to him.

"Because she didn't know everything about me," Legolas said. "She didn't know of Eletharanna, the Elf maiden to whom I'm betrothed. If this is her dream, why am I having visions of someone she doesn't know of?" Legolas was not surprised that he didn't get an answer. "She knew nothing of Eletharanna until the night before we left Rivendell," Legolas continued. "Even then, I didn't describe my betrothed to her, and while we were in Lothlorien, I had a vision from Ilúvatar. Eletharanna's coming to Middle Earth to make sure I return. She's not waiting in Valinor as was agreed upon by our fathers. I'm sure of it."

Everyone was shocked, but none more than Aragorn who, as he had told Legolas in Lothlorien, was like his brother. He had hoped that Legolas would be in Middle Earth for some time after this quest had ended. He had known of Eletharanna, and that Legolas wasn't happy with his father for promising him to someone he couldn't stand the thought of. Now she was coming here? He wished that he could help his friend, but Aragorn knew that there was nothing he could do. Of course, he didn't expect to be told they were the figment of someone's imagination either.

"I do not know how this is so," Gandalf said quietly. "I do know, however, that you need to let her go, or you will loose her."

"What do you mean, Gandalf?" Gimli said gruffly and glared at the wizard.

"It's true that we are in her dream, Gimli," Gandalf said. "In her world, she's in a place of healing for her mind. She suffered a great loss, and it broke her. That's why we're here. If Legolas doesn't let her go, she could die in her world. Legolas, you must go now."

Legolas sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Aragorn knew his friend was hurting, and didn't know what to believe. There was no way he could help Legolas, and it cut him to the quick. "Alright," Legolas said, and turned to leave.

Legolas went to Haehithien as the others looked on sadly. "Haehithien, my love, my princess," he whispered softly, and knelt beside her as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Teresa…I release you."