Of the Death of a Warrior
Legolas POV
Wherein Legolas has to face the death of his companion
He was drawing his final breaths. I knew this, and could do nothing to stop the inevitable from happening, no matter how much I wished for it.
'You are my sole companion, the one who has always stood by me, through thick and thin.' I whispered into his ear. He snorted tiredly, as if trying to tell me I was wrong.
He had put his head in my knee and I was slowly stroking my hand over his chin, trying to lend whatever comfort I could.
'You have always been a warrior, and I thank you for all these years, my friend.'
I gently began to sing, a slow tune about a warrior's life that ended much too soon. While Andúnë was old, he would still have had years to go, and I would have preferred that he could have met his end due to old age. Elrond gifted him to me when he was but a foal. He was descendant of the Valinorian horses, horses that Elrond did not give away lightly. But the elf-lord had just said that the horse had chosen his rider when he had noticed the foal trace me like a shadow whenever I was in the stables. Sometimes he trailed me even when I was elsewhere. I gave a small melancholic smile at the memory of how the foal had shown up in the Houses of Healing when I had been visiting Elladan. It would never happen again. I would never get to see his big brown eyes look at me again. Never again would we race over the fields, or jump trees in the forest. Never again would I feel his warm breath against my skin. Never again would he tease me through jumping over rocks when I was unbalanced, and never again could I tease him when eating an apple. Never again would he save me, for this time was to be the last. I was losing my dearest friend; I had failed to protect him.
My voice nearly broke when he closed his eyes and drew his final breath, but I kept singing. My hand stilled and it rested on the ridge over his eye. He would not blink. He was gone. The snow had started to fall around us, and I imagined the heavens were crying.
Once the song was complete, I lifted his heavy head from my lap and leaned down to press my forehead against his, where I just closed my eyes for a second, savoring his last warmth. I sighed and placed a final kiss of farewell on his soft nose before I gently laid his head down on the bed of snow. I stood up but did not move farther.
'Legolas…' Elrohir breathed in dismay next to me, tears in his eyes. I was grateful, for I could shed none.
''Twas a song for a warrior.' Someone said in badly hidden contempt, and I turned angrily towards the elves that were standing in the midst of bodies of slain orcs.
'This was a warrior!' I said, pointing towards my fallen companion. 'He has seen many battles, and has never run from a one! He has saved me in many ways, and more times than I can count. Will anyone say that the arrow would not have found its target in me had he not jumped before me?' They silently looked at the ground and I sneered. 'His heart was that of a warrior, and therefore, he receive the final farewell as such!' The twins joined up on either side of me, touching their shoulders to mine, giving me their silent support.
Everything was silent, until Elrohir took the first tune to sing the warrior's hymn again. Elladan joined, and soon the voices of all elves were joined in the song. It was heart wrenching to hear as they sang it silently, reverently, befitting of the death of a warrior.
I looked to my loyal steed, his body slowly being covered by a blanket of snow.
My warrior.