Chapter 21 – Over the Sea

Thranduil slowly woke up. He opened his eyes slowly and saw his son, Legolas, sleeping peacefully, his head resting just above his stomach. He smiled and then looked out of the opening of the carriage.

What he saw took his breath away.

He saw before him the Sea, the wide open ocean like a sheet of pure, crystal glass shining in the golden, perfect Sun. The great stone towers guarding the Blessed Realm – west over water – stand high and proud and beautiful and strong. Thranduil stepped outside and soaked in the view, for his eyes could hardly hold the immense beauty and its fabulous strength.

But he could not stare at this beautiful masterpiece for much longer, for he heard the voice of his son faintly calling him. He turned around and saw his son carefully peering out of the carriage. His pain and grief showed clearly in his face, yet Legolas still fought hard to hide it and to keep on going, even though he had lost almost all hope.

His father went over to him and stood by him outside the carriage.

"It's beautiful" Legolas said in a faint and gasping voice.

"Yes" said his father quietly and smiling.

"It is beautiful".

He turned to Legolas.

"The ship is waiting for you. We can go when you are ready".

Legolas looked completely helpless and he turned his head towards the Sea.

"She's not here" he said sadly and softly.

Thranduil looked at his son in confusion.

"She said she'd be here…" Legolas continued.

"But she isn't. She's not here…"

His eyes widened slightly, but his father saw that his fear and pain was beginning to rise again. His father put his arm around his son.

"It's alright" he said.

"What did she say to you?"

"She … she said …"

Then Legolas gasped and briefly blacked-out and would have hit the floor had Thranduil not caught him and held him up.

"Legolas!" cried his father.

His father gently pushed back up, and he lay against the side of the opening panting and gasping hard. Thranduil saw his son was in pain, but Legolas refused extra attention.

"I'm alright" said Legolas.

"No" said his father, "No, you're not".

Legolas looked at his father, pain, grief and longing for all this to be over in his eyes. After a little while, his father slowly helped his son out of the carriage, and they walked down the stone pathways. What Legolas saw when they reached the docks took his breath away, just like it had done his father's.

The ship, huge and elegant, stood in the docks facing towards the shore, and was one of the most beautiful things Legolas had ever seen. He held onto his father's arm, and stared at the amazing sight before him. His father looked at his son's face and smiled. He knew Legolas would like this.

"Do you want to go on the ship?" he asked gently.

There was a moment's pause.

"Legolas?" he said.

But Legolas wasn't thinking about his father or about the ship. He saw something else, something more beautiful than anything this world contained; Aniè stood there, on the end of the dock, in the dress he had last seen her in, and it was a beautiful dress, specially made for Aniè.

She looked at him and smiled, and he just stared back. Then he slowly started walking towards her and his arm slipped out of Thranduil's. One of the guards stepped forward to stop him, but Thranduil told him to back off.

"Leave him" he said, and the guard, a little confused but bound to obey his orders, backed off. Thranduil knew he had to let Legolas go now.

Legolas walked towards Aniè, and when he reached her, he still simply stared at her. She looked back at him and smiled.

"You have come home, Legolas, and you have been strong" she said to him in their own tongue.

Legolas stared at her, and touched the side of her face. His love for her rose as it always did when he was with her, and he desired so much to speak to her and to tell her one last time how much he loved her. But he couldn't. No matter how strong his love for her was, the pain of her death was stronger.

He looked into her eyes and opened his mouth to talk, but no sound came out. She looked straight back into his eyes, having no idea how much pain and agony Legolas was in. He looked at her, and then fell to his knees and to the floor.

She gasped and went down on her knees also beside him. He lay there motionless, still breathing; eyes closed and looked completely weak, almost lifeless.

"No…" she said to him as she held him close to her and her to him.

"No... No, Legolas, no, not now, not now … you've come so far, don't give up now. Be strong, don't give in!!"

Her eyes were close to tears, she could not believe he was dying, not now, after everything she'd done and everything that had happened. Thranduil was equally shocked; he ran over almost as soon as he saw Legolas hit the floor, and a few of the guards and other Elves followed, but they all kept back at a safe distance; they knew if their King needed them, he'd call.

Thranduil knelt a little way away from Legolas, and watched Aniè try and wake him. Legolas very quietly said Aniè's name, then just lay still, letting the pain encapsulate and take over him.

"We have to get him on the ship" said Aniè, complete despair and grief filling her voice.

She looked up to Thranduil, and the look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

"He must sail, he has to go on the ship"

Thranduil agreed, and he picked up Legolas in his arms and, with a little help from Aniè, carried him onto the ship. When they put him down on the ship, he gasped gently, for even though he was in great pain, not only was he keeping it (pretty much) to himself, but he was also near unconscious, close to death. Thranduil did not wish to sail just yet, so he left Legolas to Aniè and left the ship to find Cirdan the Shipwright to set off the ship.

Aniè stayed constantly by Legolas's side, as she knew that he was fading … and fading fast. Legolas opened his eyes slightly.

"Aniè…" he said faintly, using all his energy just to speak. Aniè looked at him and smiled.

"I'm right here" she said, "It's alright".

She smiled a little, and, for the first time in what seemed like millennia, Legolas smiled back. He stroked her face and their love rose higher than ever before. They were finally together, and even after everything that had been, happened and past, they would be together forevermore.

Aniè leant forward, so their faces were touching.

"I love you" she said, as they rubbed noses and breathed the same air.

"I'm so sorry that I left you".

"No" said Legolas, his voice getting fainter and weaker with every breath he took.

"No… you're here now… with me…"

They kissed, and Legolas gripped her tightly, not only in their passion, but also because his eyes were darkening, and the pain was almost at its climax. They parted and Aniè looked into his eyes and straight into his heart.

"Let the pain go" she said.

"Feel no more pain, no more suffering…"

Aniè saw his soul was disintegrating and his heart was giving in. She knew he couldn't hold in much longer. She held his hand, and Legolas sighed as he felt the softness of her palm grip his hand like silk. He held her hand as well, and eventually, the ship started moving.

"Aniè…" said Legolas, looking up at her, as he was lying down, unable to sit or stand or take much control over his body.

He saw the sky move slowly above him, and the clouds like wisps of silver in the sky seemed just beyond his reach.

"Aniè…"

His voice sounding more urgent now, but Aniè just sat there next to him, holding his hand, keeping perfectly calm and trying to help Legolas do the same.

"I'm dying, Aniè. I wasn't there for you when you were dying (at this, Aniè's face was filled with grief and shook her head, even though Legolas completely ignored this), but you're with me now, and I love you, and I feel no more pain…"

"No" said Aniè, kissing his hand which was still in her palm.

"You were always there for me; after everything that happened to us, you were always there for me, always."

She paused for a moment. She was sad yet calm that this was happening to Legolas.

"Wait 'til we pass, my love. Wait till we pass into the Blessed Realm before you sleep. There we will both be deathless beings, and…"

She looked into his face. Legolas's breathing was so slow, so very, very slow…

"Aniè…" he said, so quietly, it was barely audible.

Aniè spoke his name and rested gently on his chest, so he could hold her, be close to her and feel comforted. As Legolas breathed his last breath, all his pain, his sorrows and all his burdens left him, for the light of the West came over them, and the faithful ship bore them swiftly and smoothly into the blessed realm, west over water.

The End

Written by Kimberley Armitage

Started:

Finished: 29/5/05