RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
21.
Legolas sat on the bed and leaned against the wall behind it. As he opened the letter, Elenath joined him there, settling comfortably into his arms.
"And this is from Mike?" asked Legolas.
"Yes. I should have known it was here all along. I found it in the Book that he reminded me to bring when I left."
He nodded, unfolding the pages carefully. "Are you ready?"
She nodded and listened as the Prince read in Elvish.
"Dear Princess Elenath,
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you for it was such an honor to help you along your way while you were yet here with me. You might be surprised to learn that I have always known who and what you are – Princess Elenath of Rivendell by birth and of Mirkwood by marriage. You are an Elf and it might surprise you to learn that I am one, too (I was fortunate to inherit my human mother's ears). I followed you from Middle Earth when you were just a baby to look after you and have learned many truths since that time. But more about that later.
"By now you have arrived in Mirkwood, I hope, and have been reunited with your husband and parents. I pray that you are as happy there now as you were for 2000 years before Evil took your life. Surely this has all been explained to you by now. If not, ask any of the kind Elves of Mirkwood, for the story is well known by them all.
"Now, if I know you well at all, I know that you must be terribly confused by all of these revelations. If you are an Elf, then where does that leave you? Where do you stand in the Heavenly realms? All this time you have believed that you are a descendent of Adam and Eve and that Christ died on the cross for your transgressions. Through Him you believed you had become a child of God, having authority over every evil thing that roams the earth, and becoming confident of your eternal life with Him in Heaven. My dear child, how I long to calm your fears and silence your doubts in person! But I cannot return to Middle Earth just yet so I shall do my best to explain in writing.
"I will start with the conclusion that I have drawn regarding the world in which you now reside and the world from which you came. I believe that they are indeed one and the same. I see it in the landscapes and hear it in the songs of the trees."
"Songs of the trees?" asked Elenath. "What on earth does that mean?"
Legolas looked up at her in surprise. "You can hear the Sword speak to you but do not hear the trees' songs? They sing even now!"
She shook her head. "I cannot hear them, aside from the rustle of their leaves. When I was a child I could have sworn I heard a tree say something to me once but Grandmother scolded me when I told her and told me not to be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? What's ridiculous is not believing that trees can speak!" His voice held an outraged tone.
She laughed. "Oh, Legolas, I believe you! I take a greater and greater liking to this place every day. Maybe I will remember how to listen to them eventually."
"I will teach you myself if I have to," he replied, turning back to the letter and continuing, "It seems, however, that the realms of Earth and Middle Earth are on different levels or dimensions of the same place. The mechanics of it escape me, but I will venture to guess that none of that matters to you. I doubt that you will ever wish to return here now that you have come home.
"That aside, you must now know that the following scripture holds true for Middle Earth as it does for Earth: '…At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.'" Legolas paused, pondering this for a moment.
"Go on," she urged.
He complied. "Now, having established Jesus' Lordship, I hope that you feel at least somewhat less confused. Next, onto the question of who you are and where you stand in the Heavenly Realms. You are an Elf, as you know. What you might not know is that our kind were present with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit when they created the world-"
Elenath gasped. "What?!"
Legolas read the last part again, more slowly.
"What, are we angels?"
The Prince looked at her blankly and continued to read. "By our songs the waters were formed and made separate from the earth. Rivers were made to flow and the mountains were shaped. Many of us fell in love with this creation and were allowed to leave Heaven under the direction of the Valar, to live here immortally. Our task? To safeguard the world against Evil."
"Then my place is to do battle with the Evil that runs rampant here," she murmured to herself, "and to praise God with the Angels in heaven. For that surely is what we are; or what we were at any rate." She spoke up. "Legolas, did you know about this?"
"I have heard our history many times," he replied simply. "Shall I continue?"
"Please."
Legolas found his place and began once more. "You should also be aware, Elenath, that though Elvish blood runs thick in your veins, it is not pure. The blood of Eve – human blood -- also flows through them, both from your mother's and your father's lines. Therefore you are, as you have come to believe, a descendent of Adam and Eve. Christ did in fact die on the cross for your transgressions. Through Him you have indeed become a child of God, and you do have authority over every evil thing that roams the earth. You are truly God's hands and feet in Middle Earth. Whatever He ordains, you shall be able to carry out. Should you ever face death again in battle or should you choose to live your life as a mortal human being, you can be confident of your eternal life in Heaven. Either way, you stand pure and spotless before God, and in you lies a lifeline that can help to free Mirkwood of darkness."
The Prince stopped suddenly, setting the letter down. "Elenath, when my father almost died, he saw the Valar who told him that you could turn back an advancing army with a song. Is this true?"
She gazed into his eyes, seeing a disturbance there of confusion and anger. "It is as Mike says. I have authority to carry out that which God the Father has ordained. And He has ordained that, in the end, all evil shall perish. However, I can do nothing that He does not allow me to do."
"This God you speak of… He would not abandon Mirkwood to darkness, would He?"
"It isn't His will that any should perish or be lost to darkness, Legolas." Her brow furrowed as she felt him tense. Why was he angry?
Resentment flared up in his eyes. "Then why did you not stop the orcs who killed your father?"
His words pierced her heart like an arrow and she pulled away from him quickly, eyes wide. "Do you blame me for my father's death, Legolas?"
He did not answer her, but looked guiltily out into the dusky Wood. How could he even suggest such a thing? Yet the words she had spoken suggested she could have stopped the attack. Why would this God not have allowed her to do so if He wished for none to perish?
Elenath was shaken. How dare Legolas accuse her of such a thing? With every fiber of her being, she wanted to lash out at him, but instead, she stood up and walked to the edge of the room. She did not want him to see the hurt tears that spilled down her cheeks. Finally turning around, she drew a small dagger from her boot and, returning to his side, handed it to him. "Legolas, why don't you just plunge this into my heart and twist it around a few times? It would hurt much less than the words you just spoke."
He looked at the blade and then back up at his wife, speechless.
She knelt before him. "Go ahead, Legolas. If I'm such a killer, then I deserve it, don't I?"
He set the knife aside. "Elenath, I only asked a simple question. I accused you of nothing."
"You accused me of killing my father!" she shouted through her tears. "My own father! The only Elf here that I could fully remember. Do you have any idea how much I loved him? Don't you think I would have saved him if I could, Legolas?"
He knelt on the floor next to her, "Calm yourself," he said. "Elenath – "
"No!" she bellowed. "How could you ask me such a thing? Why did I not stop the orcs who killed my father? I'll tell you why!" She turned on him. "Because you told me to go and hide, Legolas, and I went against everything within myself to obey you! I did what you told me to instead of what I knew deep down that God was calling me to do. Why? Because." She paused, grabbing his shoulders. "Because I was afraid and confused. That's why."
"Afraid?" he asked, "Confused? Elenath, you're an Elf. You should overcome these feelings easily."
She stood up and fought the urge to kick him. How arrogant he sounded just then! "An Elf indeed!" she huffed, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. "If being an Elf means I no longer have feelings, then maybe I don't want to be one!"
"No!" he shouted, standing up and grabbing her, pulling her close. "Do not say that, Melamin!"
She yanked away from him, taken aback at the stark fear and longing she saw in his eyes.
"Please," he said, "do not choose to live a mortal life. I could not go on without you, and Mirkwood would not let me go so easily."
The intensity of his love for her hit her at that moment. Love that showed through his anger. Love that bit through his fear. Love that brought great comfort and trepidation into her heart all at once.
"Listen to yourself, Legolas," she said, her voice quieter now. "Scolding me for my fear and confusion while you yourself fear losing me."
He looked at the floor and did not reply.
"Listen," she said, meeting his eyes again. "Do not be so quick to judge that which you do not understand, alright? I am new to this world. You wouldn't do much better if you were dropped into the world from which I came."
He reached out to take her hands but still said nothing.
She sighed. "Look, I'm going to take a walk, alright? I need to be alone to figure some things out."
"Figure what out?" he asked, "I haven't even finished the letter yet."
"Just… Legolas… I just need to think, okay? We can finish the letter when I come back." She stepped away from him, letting go of his hands.
"Elenath, I'm sorry," he said. "Please don't go."
"I'll be back," she promised and turned, her hand traveling involuntarily to the hilt of her sword to make sure it was there before she walked out of the room.
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
21.
Legolas sat on the bed and leaned against the wall behind it. As he opened the letter, Elenath joined him there, settling comfortably into his arms.
"And this is from Mike?" asked Legolas.
"Yes. I should have known it was here all along. I found it in the Book that he reminded me to bring when I left."
He nodded, unfolding the pages carefully. "Are you ready?"
She nodded and listened as the Prince read in Elvish.
"Dear Princess Elenath,
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you for it was such an honor to help you along your way while you were yet here with me. You might be surprised to learn that I have always known who and what you are – Princess Elenath of Rivendell by birth and of Mirkwood by marriage. You are an Elf and it might surprise you to learn that I am one, too (I was fortunate to inherit my human mother's ears). I followed you from Middle Earth when you were just a baby to look after you and have learned many truths since that time. But more about that later.
"By now you have arrived in Mirkwood, I hope, and have been reunited with your husband and parents. I pray that you are as happy there now as you were for 2000 years before Evil took your life. Surely this has all been explained to you by now. If not, ask any of the kind Elves of Mirkwood, for the story is well known by them all.
"Now, if I know you well at all, I know that you must be terribly confused by all of these revelations. If you are an Elf, then where does that leave you? Where do you stand in the Heavenly realms? All this time you have believed that you are a descendent of Adam and Eve and that Christ died on the cross for your transgressions. Through Him you believed you had become a child of God, having authority over every evil thing that roams the earth, and becoming confident of your eternal life with Him in Heaven. My dear child, how I long to calm your fears and silence your doubts in person! But I cannot return to Middle Earth just yet so I shall do my best to explain in writing.
"I will start with the conclusion that I have drawn regarding the world in which you now reside and the world from which you came. I believe that they are indeed one and the same. I see it in the landscapes and hear it in the songs of the trees."
"Songs of the trees?" asked Elenath. "What on earth does that mean?"
Legolas looked up at her in surprise. "You can hear the Sword speak to you but do not hear the trees' songs? They sing even now!"
She shook her head. "I cannot hear them, aside from the rustle of their leaves. When I was a child I could have sworn I heard a tree say something to me once but Grandmother scolded me when I told her and told me not to be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? What's ridiculous is not believing that trees can speak!" His voice held an outraged tone.
She laughed. "Oh, Legolas, I believe you! I take a greater and greater liking to this place every day. Maybe I will remember how to listen to them eventually."
"I will teach you myself if I have to," he replied, turning back to the letter and continuing, "It seems, however, that the realms of Earth and Middle Earth are on different levels or dimensions of the same place. The mechanics of it escape me, but I will venture to guess that none of that matters to you. I doubt that you will ever wish to return here now that you have come home.
"That aside, you must now know that the following scripture holds true for Middle Earth as it does for Earth: '…At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.'" Legolas paused, pondering this for a moment.
"Go on," she urged.
He complied. "Now, having established Jesus' Lordship, I hope that you feel at least somewhat less confused. Next, onto the question of who you are and where you stand in the Heavenly Realms. You are an Elf, as you know. What you might not know is that our kind were present with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit when they created the world-"
Elenath gasped. "What?!"
Legolas read the last part again, more slowly.
"What, are we angels?"
The Prince looked at her blankly and continued to read. "By our songs the waters were formed and made separate from the earth. Rivers were made to flow and the mountains were shaped. Many of us fell in love with this creation and were allowed to leave Heaven under the direction of the Valar, to live here immortally. Our task? To safeguard the world against Evil."
"Then my place is to do battle with the Evil that runs rampant here," she murmured to herself, "and to praise God with the Angels in heaven. For that surely is what we are; or what we were at any rate." She spoke up. "Legolas, did you know about this?"
"I have heard our history many times," he replied simply. "Shall I continue?"
"Please."
Legolas found his place and began once more. "You should also be aware, Elenath, that though Elvish blood runs thick in your veins, it is not pure. The blood of Eve – human blood -- also flows through them, both from your mother's and your father's lines. Therefore you are, as you have come to believe, a descendent of Adam and Eve. Christ did in fact die on the cross for your transgressions. Through Him you have indeed become a child of God, and you do have authority over every evil thing that roams the earth. You are truly God's hands and feet in Middle Earth. Whatever He ordains, you shall be able to carry out. Should you ever face death again in battle or should you choose to live your life as a mortal human being, you can be confident of your eternal life in Heaven. Either way, you stand pure and spotless before God, and in you lies a lifeline that can help to free Mirkwood of darkness."
The Prince stopped suddenly, setting the letter down. "Elenath, when my father almost died, he saw the Valar who told him that you could turn back an advancing army with a song. Is this true?"
She gazed into his eyes, seeing a disturbance there of confusion and anger. "It is as Mike says. I have authority to carry out that which God the Father has ordained. And He has ordained that, in the end, all evil shall perish. However, I can do nothing that He does not allow me to do."
"This God you speak of… He would not abandon Mirkwood to darkness, would He?"
"It isn't His will that any should perish or be lost to darkness, Legolas." Her brow furrowed as she felt him tense. Why was he angry?
Resentment flared up in his eyes. "Then why did you not stop the orcs who killed your father?"
His words pierced her heart like an arrow and she pulled away from him quickly, eyes wide. "Do you blame me for my father's death, Legolas?"
He did not answer her, but looked guiltily out into the dusky Wood. How could he even suggest such a thing? Yet the words she had spoken suggested she could have stopped the attack. Why would this God not have allowed her to do so if He wished for none to perish?
Elenath was shaken. How dare Legolas accuse her of such a thing? With every fiber of her being, she wanted to lash out at him, but instead, she stood up and walked to the edge of the room. She did not want him to see the hurt tears that spilled down her cheeks. Finally turning around, she drew a small dagger from her boot and, returning to his side, handed it to him. "Legolas, why don't you just plunge this into my heart and twist it around a few times? It would hurt much less than the words you just spoke."
He looked at the blade and then back up at his wife, speechless.
She knelt before him. "Go ahead, Legolas. If I'm such a killer, then I deserve it, don't I?"
He set the knife aside. "Elenath, I only asked a simple question. I accused you of nothing."
"You accused me of killing my father!" she shouted through her tears. "My own father! The only Elf here that I could fully remember. Do you have any idea how much I loved him? Don't you think I would have saved him if I could, Legolas?"
He knelt on the floor next to her, "Calm yourself," he said. "Elenath – "
"No!" she bellowed. "How could you ask me such a thing? Why did I not stop the orcs who killed my father? I'll tell you why!" She turned on him. "Because you told me to go and hide, Legolas, and I went against everything within myself to obey you! I did what you told me to instead of what I knew deep down that God was calling me to do. Why? Because." She paused, grabbing his shoulders. "Because I was afraid and confused. That's why."
"Afraid?" he asked, "Confused? Elenath, you're an Elf. You should overcome these feelings easily."
She stood up and fought the urge to kick him. How arrogant he sounded just then! "An Elf indeed!" she huffed, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. "If being an Elf means I no longer have feelings, then maybe I don't want to be one!"
"No!" he shouted, standing up and grabbing her, pulling her close. "Do not say that, Melamin!"
She yanked away from him, taken aback at the stark fear and longing she saw in his eyes.
"Please," he said, "do not choose to live a mortal life. I could not go on without you, and Mirkwood would not let me go so easily."
The intensity of his love for her hit her at that moment. Love that showed through his anger. Love that bit through his fear. Love that brought great comfort and trepidation into her heart all at once.
"Listen to yourself, Legolas," she said, her voice quieter now. "Scolding me for my fear and confusion while you yourself fear losing me."
He looked at the floor and did not reply.
"Listen," she said, meeting his eyes again. "Do not be so quick to judge that which you do not understand, alright? I am new to this world. You wouldn't do much better if you were dropped into the world from which I came."
He reached out to take her hands but still said nothing.
She sighed. "Look, I'm going to take a walk, alright? I need to be alone to figure some things out."
"Figure what out?" he asked, "I haven't even finished the letter yet."
"Just… Legolas… I just need to think, okay? We can finish the letter when I come back." She stepped away from him, letting go of his hands.
"Elenath, I'm sorry," he said. "Please don't go."
"I'll be back," she promised and turned, her hand traveling involuntarily to the hilt of her sword to make sure it was there before she walked out of the room.