Chapter 25

In seconds fates changed and they all looked on as it came to pass, "No!" Legolas screamed as loudly as he ran for Arri. He dropped to the floor by her and looked at the arrow and it's placement. He swallowed hard and studied her face knowing the arrow was very close to her heart. She kept a vacant expression as he pulled her into his lap. She finally looked to him and her eyes moved quickly as if trying to memorize every detail of his face. She was breathing a bit too quickly for his liking and he suppressed the tears that threatened to fall.

Elrond sat next to him looking solemn as he studied her wound. Legolas's eager look met his sad eyes.

"Will she….." Legolas choked the rest of the words back to stay strong and afraid to say them aloud. Elrond kept his grave stare and shook his head sadly. Legolas's stare soften and he began to take in every detail he could of her now. He brushed the hair from her eyes and trying to ignore the blood that was pooling under her and soaking Legolas's garments. Elrond tried in vain to stop the bleeding and to help the she-elf as much as he could. She sighed and closed her eyes slowly.

"Arri, do not leave me," Legolas said softly in elvish and she opened her eyes again. She looked so peaceful but so in pain that he had felt he had been the one shot in the heart.

"I will always be a small part of you," she said slowly and carefully. "I cannot die here." She looked panicked as her eyes roamed her surroundings. The carved stone and cold floors. "In a callous carved kingdom of men, it is unfeeling and cold here."

Legolas knew what she meant and they knew she was dying. Her face was very pale and her body seemed listless and she offered no help or sign of movement aside from talking. He nodded as he struggled to lift her as gently as possible. He moved slowly as he clutched her to him as dear as life itself. His eyes did not leave her face. He wanted to be with her as long as he could be. He wanted to touch her life as long as he could.

Thranduil watched his son carry the wounded elf from the prying eyes of men, elves and dwarf. He had never seen his son care so deeply for a maiden or his son's emotions seem so strong or passionate for anyone. He felt a familiar ache in his own chest watching his sons go through the motions of saying goodbye to his wife. He knew by Elrond's face her wounds were very serious and he watched his son with a heavy heart.

Gimli moved to help him but Aragorn's hand stopped him, "I believe Legolas needs to say goodbye alone."

"Goodbye?" Gimli's eyes grew wide and his voice caught in his throat.

"Can't you do anything, Gandalf?" Frodo asked with a pleading look.

"No, my lad." He exhaled hard. "She fulfilled her fate."

Sam was upset, "You mean this was supposed to happen?"

Gandalf nodded as Legolas disappeared carrying Arri towards the open woods. "If we all knew our fates would we ever live them out?" Gandalf sighed.

Frodo folded his arms as if to keep himself together, "Bilbo used to say, 'It's a dangerous business going out one's door.'"

Arwen kept her stone cold stare at where Legolas had carried her friend. "I shall never understand death." Aragorn wrapped his arm around her waist to comfort her.

"No one being does," Aragorn sighed. "What purpose does it serve or why and when it strikes us." He lowered his voice knowing she felt the fear and sadness many had after witnessing a gruesome death, "do you still wish to marry a man?" He kept his phrase in elvish in a low voice by her ear.

Arwen smiled, "The heart ache Legolas will carry is a hard a thousand deaths." She whispered back, "I chose to be with you for the rest of my days." She could feel Elrond's eyes on them and he looked away as she met his stare.

"Mr. Frodo," Sam said with a heavy sigh, "I do believe it's time to go back to the shire."

"Yes, Sam," Frodo said watching Jareth approach. "We will return very soon."

"Legolas?" Sam asked him sure they would linger to make sure the elf would not grieve himself to death. Frodo nodded.

Jareth met the group, "Giles has died." He had mixed emotions in his eyes.

"The man who died ceased to be your cousin, Jareth," Gandalf sighed, "His greed overpowered his soul and he would have killed you," Jareth nodded knowing he was right. "and as many as he would to get his crown."

"Yes," Jareth folded his arms, "it brings me no solace now."

Thranduil and a bloody Elrond joined them as Jareth's eyes grew wider taking in the amount of blood on Elrond.

"Arri?" Jareth began to run for his cousin but Thranduil stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"She is gone," Elrond assured him sadly. "It is but a matter of time."

Jareth looked to the trail of blood, "Where is she?"

"Saying goodbye to her husband," Thranduil said softly but his tone was a silent dare to interupt them. So softly had he spoke that everyone's attention had been grabbed. He was not silent or quiet leader.

Arwen found Eliza running to her crying and bent down to cuddle the child, "Shhhhh, child." She told her as she ran her fingers through the girl's coarse hair.

"What of the elf?" Gimli said as normally as he could with the lump in his throat.

"We will have to see he does not grieve himself to death," Aine said slowly from behind them.

"I have killed your cousin and a member of your house," Thranduil challenged Jareth. "Do you hold me for execution?"

"Haven't there been enough death?" Jareth sighed. "If I learned on thing from Arri it is to appreciate all I can while I can, especially life."

Thranduil raised an eyebrow at him, "Perhaps the crown is not wasted on you."

"Is that a compliment?" Jareth snorted. Elrond could not hide his amusement and chuckled.

"He has no crown," Eliza's father interrupted. "At least not yet." He held the famed crown of Loredell in his hands. "We need a leader and we need it now, Jareth."

Murmurs from on lookers agreed as he tried the crown on Jareth's head and applause rang out from the villagers, guards and court of Loredell. Quickly the elves joined in but the small group just gave him their private approval.

"This is not the time," Jareth argued thinking of both deaths.

"We need this now," the man insisted. "We can have a proper ceremony later."

"It's always later isn't it?" Sam said staring into space. "They were to be properly married later too." He found the others eyes on him. "Do it now. Live for today." Sam said pointedly.

Jareth nodded. "You are right, hobbit friend." Jareth clamped his hand on Sam's shoulder as he passed them to receive his crown.

Legolas let the tears fall away from the scrutiny of his father and the men. He knelt into the soft grass letting Arri feel the wind and listen to the trees. He watched her trying to smile.

"You are my heart," Legolas said letting his tears stain his shirt.

"You are mine," She said and he could see it took more effort for her to speak. He swallowed hard. He had only carried her a small ways from the others just outside the gates and he would already lose her.

"Arri," he broke into a sob and lowered his head.

"Do not cry," she hushed him slowly. She looked so peaceful and so sure of what was happening. "Just look into my eyes." She watched his soft gaze met hers and she hoped she smiled for him. She wanted to wipe his tears but her arms wouldn't cooperate. "Even death does not scare me as long as you are the last thing in the world I see."

He kept her stare. "Do not leave me."

She tried to respond but she felt her throat hot and warm and her words choked out. His eyes became panicked and she took a deep breath knowing she could not prevent what was happening to her but she could make this easier on him. She tried to smile at him, she wanted to reassure him.

Legolas touched her face as she tried to talk to him, "Arri, I have never loved another." He watched a droplet of blood trickle from her mouth slowly and he cocked his head as her gaze was fixed to the heavens and her eyes transfixed, she stopped moving.

"Arri?" he said when she began to stare past him. He held her to him hard letting his sobs leave as he knew her spirit did. He ran his fingers into soft curls as he kept her head against his chest rocking her slowly. He had lost his heart when she had been shot in hers. "How shall I live with out you for you have taken my heart as you go."

Thranduil stood near by in case his son would need him and he knew certainly that he would need to busy his son to ensure his grief would be as brief as possible. Thoughts of speaking to Elrond and Arwen floated through his mind and he moved back into the shadows slowly.