XXIX - The Weight of the Mountain

Eowyn greeted them at the newly reconstructed gates. Her wild blond hair was tied back haphazardly although she looked happy enough to see them and she did a good job at hiding her surprise at the size of the Hobbits.

The riders dismounted an supped quickly, each of them eager to rest after the heaviness of the last few days. Mirren realised as Eowyn showed them to a chamber to rest that they had not truly slept for at least two evenings.

Watching the Hobbits sleep comforted the Four hunters more than they would each have liked to admit. As dull smoke circled the room smelling of sweet sage and other herbs which Mirren had infused with the timber to give them dreamless rest, the ranger stared for a long while blankly into the night. His posture was stiff and Mirren could only guess his thoughts. Saruman's words still haunted them all...Especially his knowledge of their quest, and his doubts.

Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. The wizard had said, Something that even the weak she-elf you keep in your company has failed to see….

Mirren pondered these thoughts as she listened to the gentle snores of Merry and Gandalf. Mithrandir had never had trouble sleeping as far as she knew and Mirren was just thankful that as an elf she could find her own peace and energy through rest of the mind and not the body.

Even when Aragorn had drifted off, Legolas and Gimli mutely sat either side of her. Something about the chamber full of men put them both on edge and she did not chastise them for their silent protection, despite her knowledge that it was not needed. The dwarf drifted in and out of sleep but was mostly awake, thinking of mountain halls and the fate of his kin in his homeland.

As such, when it came upon the three of them that they were the only ones awake in the darkest shades of night, they wondered together from the sleeping halls to give the resting some peace.

"Come with me." Gimli spoke after they had completed a lap of the Hornburg in each others silent company, "I have an idea."

Mirren raised her eyebrows at the dwarf and looked to Legolas puzzlingly. Reading the expression on the ellon's face to be one of mirrored confusion they simply followed the dwarf as he crept like a burglar through the night-lit halls of the Deep and finally into the mountain.

Together the trio made their way through a gorge behind the Deepling wall, traveling down, down, down into the very heart of the earth (or so it seemed to Legolas and Mirren). With every step she took, the air seemed to grow thicker and although she disliked the feeling of walking away from the cool and freeing night air, she trusted the dwarf who led them and let her hand graze Legolas' as they walked side by side below even the roots of the White Mountains.

The elleth was surprised to find that even as the air grew warmer around them, it grew moister also. Soon the hand that was not touching Legolas' could feel droplets of water on the passage walls bedside her.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper because although she was only in the company of her trusted friends, there seemed to be something special and secret about this place that demanded silence.

Gimli did not reply but she guessed that they would soon reach their destination as he met her gaze through the dark and smiled.

"It smells…damp…like rain on summer baked rocks." Legolas observed and then gasped, moving quicker, "There is light ahead!"

Moving swiftly, the trio lengthened their strides and soon found themselves in an open cavern similar to the one the women, children and elderly had hidden in the evening before, although this one was much further beneath the earth.

The floor under their feet was no longer bare rock, but soft, white sand. The ceiling above them was equally blinding; high domed vaults filled with gems, crystals and veins of ore that seemed to pool above them and trickle down the walls like paths of rain on windows after a storm.

But that was not what took the elves breath away. The sound of rushing water was one that had been present throughout the deep since their arrival. As such, they had thought little of it and it had merely become another background noise to war. How Mirren regretted not paying attention to it as she should have until now.

A great river carved through the caverns, resulting in a mirror lake, reflecting the shine of the gems above and casting their perfection a thousand more times around the cave. These truly were the glittering caves, the elleth thought, unable to describe their beauty.

She could see that the caves extended deeper into the mountains, with many passages, stairs, halls, and chambers. But her feet were rooted to the spot.

"By my beard!" Gimli breathed aloud, gasping at the sight of it, "Isn't it wonderful?"

Next to her, Legolas was speechless and he could only grasp Mirren's hand fiercely. She thought it may have been one of the first times in history that a dwarf had outspoken an elf and smiled. It truly was beautiful.

Gently, as Gimli explored the nearby passages at his leisure, Mirren walked towards the river-lake, her right hand still entwined with the elven Prince's. Dipping her left hand in the water, she felt the power of it reach up her arm and gasped. Her blue-eyes flashed silver.

"Legolas…" She breathed, standing once more to curl herself towards him. Gathering her in an embrace, the ellon dipped his head towards her and placed a feather light kiss on her forehead, grinning. Mirren's hands moved of their own accord to his shoulders and then the strength of his jaw, feeling the erratic pulse at his neck as he trailed his lips down her temple and across her cheek.

Her breath caught in her throat as he reached the corner of her lips and prolonged the wait to kiss her. Suddenly, the sound of the water roared in her ears and the gems shone like white stars above them, but all she could focus on was him.

When his lips finally met hers, the kiss was different to the ones that they had shared before. This time, shocked at their surroundings and in awe of the blessings of the valar, it was filled with love and passion and warmth.

Under the weight of the mountain their souls met and the world fell away until all that remained was each other.

The morning came too soon and with it their final departure from Helm's Deep. The fortress slept in, allowing them a little rest before the Horses needed to be saddled and mounted. As the Deep awoke, Gimli raved to Aragorn and the Hobbits of their findings in the Glittering Caves. When asked themselves, Mirren and Legolas said only the dwarf had the power to describe its beauty.

Her mind still reeling from the night before, Mirren stuck to Legolas through the preparations to leave like a shadow, only parting from him to change back into her travel gear (although she left her armoured skirt on) remembering the ambush of the warg's and feeling cautious of its repetition.

"Will you ride with me?" Legolas asked as he saddled Arod after breakfast. The stables were overrun with Rohirrim and Mirren had spent a small part of the morning calming the battle worn horses with soft elvish words. Her voice had silenced the men for a while but as the deadline to leave drew nearer they had begun to talk loudly amongst themselves once more.

She grinned at his question and the hint of doubt that she could now read laced in his tone. The elleth had never thought she could gather so much joy from teasing the woodland Prince but was glad of it nonetheless.

"If you'll have me.." She replied, lowly, watching the flicker in his eye as his hands faultered on Arod's straps.

Just as he was about to reply, behind them someone coughed and Mirren's attention was diverted to the rest of their fellowship as they stood, ready to leave.

"Looks like I'll be riding with you then laddie." Gimli huffed looking up at Aragorn, his arms thrown haphazardly over his axe.

The change in the elves relationship had been noticed by the dwarf in the caves. He looked at them proudly when he thought they were not looking and gave them no grief for it despite a few well placed raised eyebrows and knowing grins.

The ranger raised his own amused eyebrow but conceded, helping the dwarf onto the back of his horse before mounting himself.

Merry and Pippin were soon seated with Eomer and Gandalf and the company - full of riders and stragglers from the Deep - began their homeward journey towards the Golden Hall.

They made good time, reaching Edoras just as the sun was beginning its arch down towards the horizon across the great plains. They had stopped only once for the comfort of the Hobbits and to rest a few of the injured horses who travelled with them back to Théoden's keep. Mirren had closed her eyes for most of the journey, resting on Legolas who kept a firm hold of her. But, he gently woke her on the accent up to Théoden's Hall and they all separated to prepare for a great victory feast that evening.

Breaca walked beside Mirren, escorting the elleth to the King's Golden hall. The healer wanted to see the splendour of it all before she had to rush off to attend her patients and Mirren had happily offered to walk with her. They had spent far too long preparing for the feast; dressing Mirren in the elegant low-necked sea-blue dress Eowyn had leant her and setting her hair once more into intricate and gentle braids, leaving most of it down to fall over her shoulders in brown waves. Mirren marveled that one of her friends hadn't come to fetch her already by the time she was weaving through Edoras' corridors, feeling like a cloud as the folds of the dress swished around her feet. She hadn't seen any of the boys since their arrival in the midafternoon. Despite this, she didn't want to make a fuss of herself when she entered, hoping that the hall would be full so she could take a seat without being noticed.

Entering the feast, she found that it was full of people and despite her worries, the music and chatter didn't stop when she arrived. Upon a raised platform stood the King and his sister's children, each of them looking clean and healthy once more. Out of the three of them, Eomer noticed her first and bowed his head in greeting before nodding to a table which had been set aside for her companions at the front of the hall, where Aragorn stood, alone.

Navigating her way through the laughing and chattering crowds, her face was flushed when she reached the ranger and she sighed loudly.

"It has been a long time since I have been to a feast with so many men." She thought aloud, seeing Estel's amused reaction to her slight tardiness.

"Well… you look lovely if that helps."

Mirren rolled her eyes at her friend, scoffing a little, "It doesn't, but thank you… It feels strange to be wearing a dress again, I feel as though I am back in the halls of Rivendell."

Aragorn smiled then, truly, but after a moment the elleth saw a flicker of pain in his eyes and realised she had directed his thoughts to Arwen and chided herself.

"Did I miss anything?" She asked gently, gesturing to the stage and the King who was searching the crowd with his eyes.

"Théoden is waiting for Gandalf… It seems he takes longer than you to get ready."

"Well… He is a busy wizard."

"That he is…"Aragorn pulled his eyes back to the elleth and smiled.

He was not exaggerating when he said she looked beautiful. The dress she had been leant was a little long in the sleeves and pooled a little at her feet, but its colour complemented her dark hair and stunning blue eyes magnificently. It's bodice was low-scooped but tight and extremely detailed and Aragorn thought harmlessly that the woodland Prince would love it… Although, he didn't voice that thought aloud, fearing the possible repercussions from his friend.

"Here Lass…Take this!" A loud voice snapped the companions from their separate thoughts as Gimli shuffled his way in between them. The dwarf thrusted a goblet of mead into Mirren's hands and she stared at it cautiously for a moment before taking in the dwarf's grinning face.

"You look very handsome Gimli." She remarked, noting that he had brushed his hair and beard. Aragorn laughed beside her and the dwarf scowled as he could not prevent a very pink blush from rising to his cheeks.

"…You should be telling your pointy-eared Prince that, not me...And not any of these Rohirrim folk either." He replied, adverting his gaze from hers for a moment as Aragorn raised a suspicious eyebrow at his comment.

The she-elf didn't have time to reply though as the Rohirrim around them fell silent and Théoden centered himself on the raised platform at the top of the Hall.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country." The King addressed the silent hall, his hands steady as he reached to pluck a golden goblet from the hands of his niece.

"Hail the victorious dead!"

"Hail!"

Holding up the glass of mead that Gimli had kindly given to her, Mirren sipped from it gently, thinking of Haldir and all of those they had lost in the Battle of Helm's Deep. It was because of them, she reminded herself as she stared at the King's goblet, that they were alive to attend this feast today.

Mirren turned her head and caught the sight of Merry and Pippin clutching large tankards in their hands and smiled, unaware that Legolas was staring at her intently from the opposite side of the hall.

He had struck up a conversation with the stable-master who was not so weary of elves, unlike many of the other Rohirrim, and had missed her arrival completely. For a moment as he approached her though, he was breath-taken as the warm candle light of the Hall seeped into her skin and seemed to emit an ethereal beauty so that she shone as she laughed at something Gimli had said.

She felt his gaze before she saw him, so that when she finally raised her head so that her eyes finally meet his, a faint blush already grazed from her cheeks to the top of her pointed ears that was not from the mead she had been drinking.

Dipping his head, he swiftly placed a kiss across her cheek bone and avoided Aragorn's knowing stare as he straightened himself out once more.

"You look beautiful." He murmured lowly, his voice made her shiver ever so slightly.

"Thank you." She grinned, staring at him in turn, only to find they had accidently matched their outfits as his blue tunic caught the shine of the lights around them.

The Prince's hair was adorned with a silver circlet and Mirren thought he looked younger now, with a light in his eyes that he had held when she had first met him in the Greenwood so many years ago.

"You look beautiful too…I mean - uh - Handsome. Very Handsome. Not that you're not beautiful.. You are- breathtaking in fact-" She was rambling and when she realised it, felt more heat rising in her cheeks and stopped, clearing her throat awkwardly.

Legolas grinned once more like a youth and her thoughts drifted away.

"Would you like another drink?" He asked and not trusting her voice despite her usual familiarity with him, she nodded.

"Another drink sounds good."

"Will you dance with us, fair Lady?" Merry and Pippin approached her as she sat with Legolas and Gimli discussing Legolas' homeland and all they'd love to show the dwarf there. They talked not often of their desires after the war, but Mirren hoped that Legolas and her would remain friends with Gimli until the end of his days.

The dwarf looked at her now as a brother would, before downing another tankard of ale.

Mirren smiled, bowing to the small Hobbits as gracefully as she could whilst sat. "It would be my pleasure, my lords."

The Hobbit's faces lit up and they each grabbed one of her hands, dragging the elleth into the thick of the dancefloor. The band launched into a jolly song and Mirren's eyebrows creased worriedly at the pace of it. She swung herself as best she could to the beat though and quickly caught the rhythm. She enjoyed twirling around Merry and Pippin as they danced with her, a wonderful childish innocence in their eyes that Mirren wished would remain there for the rest of their travels.

People around them clapped, not always in time as her kin would have done, but after a short while Mirren found herself breathlessly laughing nevertheless.

After the Hobbits retired to find themselves some more ale, many more of the Rohirrim asked her to dance. Quickly, Eomer intervened, offering his hand and whisking her away before any complaints from his rowdy men began.

"Another dance or another drink?" The lord asked her as a light tune finished and another started up over the sounds of the singing crowds.

"If you could find me some wine I'd be most grateful," She grinned, turning her nose up at the thought of all the mead and ale the men of Rohan had gulped down in copious amounts that evening. The she-elf allowed Eomer to laugh at her discomfort as he agreed to find her some wine as he spun them both away from the dancefloor, directing her to a table where Gimli was leaning drunkenly over his tankard of ale.

Soon a small goblet of rich red wine was settled in front of her and she raised it to Eomer in thanks, trying she tried to catch her breath. Who knew dancing with two Hobbit's could be so exhausting, she thought, grinning still despite the loud stomps of Merry and Pippin dancing on top of the feasting tables across the room.

"I'll wager elves never have celebrations as roaring as this!" Gimli chuckled from opposite her and Mirren raised her eyebrows at his challenge.

"In an age before you and I were born Master Dwarf, my people celebrated Nost-na-Lothion…the birth of flowers, it was said to be the pinnacle of all celebrations in Middle Earth, with feasts and dances lasting for days upon days. One day I will show you what a true celebration looks like." She grinned and Gimli saw the slight wildness in her eyes return, "It may not be as hot or as roudy as this..." She added, watching as a few men struggled to right an upturned table near them, "…But I believe you would enjoy it Gimli, nevertheless."

Gimli laughed and raised his tankard to hers in agreement, "Then I will show you the true meaning of dwarvish hospitality and our bets will finally be done."

Laughing Mirren shook her head at his stubborness, grinning still when Eomer brought Legolas over to their table.

Silently, Legolas took up his usual space beside her and squeezed her shoulder in greeting.

He looked so handsome in the golden light.

Mirren blushed and took another sip from her goblet.

"Now here's an-another wager I'll take… that this pointy eared princeling cant take his liquor."

Mirren raised an eyebrow at Gimli's slurred words and lifted her head to see Legolas' reaction.

"I don't think you want to do that, Gimli…" She offered, knowing the strength of Thranduil's wines, and Legolas' renown for holding his father's elvish liquor. And if there was one thing Mirren knew, this was not elvish liquor.

"It's will be simple enough." The Marshall proclaimed soon after, Legolas accepted the dwarf's challenge with little thought of its possible consequences. "No pauses, no spills-"

"-And no regurgitation!" Gimli interrupted, lifting his tankard to his mouth as the drunken Rohirrim around him erupted into laughter.

"So it's a drinking game?" Legolas asked, a little confused, looking down at Mirren, his dark eyebrows raised as the she-elf nodded and squeezed his hand. "…It seems so."

"Aye!"

"Last one standing wins." Gimli grinned, downing his drink effortlessly.

Eomer turned to the she-elf carefully, "Lady Mirren, would you care to play?"

Mirren pulled a disgusted expression, "I don't think this is the game for me." She mused, perching on the table as Legolas looked at the dwarf, unsure, but then lifted his tankard and began to drink.

"Lets drink to Victory!" The cry when up around them and the elleth couldn't help but nod along as they chanted, "To Victory!"

She rolled her eyes then, when Gimli burped loudly and reached for another drink to the delight and cheers of the Rohirrim around them, "Men…" She scoffed, her eyes moving from Legolas to the rest of the room.

The party was still in full swing although some guests had begun to retire. The elleth noted that Eowyn was no longer in sight and that Aragorn and Gandalf conversed lightly whilst watching over the Hobbits. Neither of them seemed to be drinking which the elleth supposed was wise as it looked like Pippin and Merry had more than drunk their share of the alcohol on offer to them. Overwhelmingly, Mirren was glad that her companions seemed to be enjoying themselves and couldn't help the easy grin on her face despite the growing stench of split ale, smoke and body odor in the room.

Gimli chuckled lowly, bringing the elleths attention back to the game. "Here, Here!" He exclaimed, reaching for another tankard, "It's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women!" The table erupted into laughter around them.

Mirren scrunched her nose up as the dwarf burped loudly and drank some more. Legolas gently settled his hand on her shoulder.

"I feel something." The elf said worriedly. He was staring down at his fingers as if he couldn't feel them. Mirren reached up and covered the hand on her shoulder with her own.

"Are you okay?"

Beside her, Eomer raised his eyebrows at the first sign of drunkenness from the elven prince. "…A slight tingle in my fingers," the archer continued, looking to Eomer for and explanation, "I think it's affecting me."

Mirren couldn't stop herself from laughing. Most men would feel more than a slight tingle in their fingers after 16 tankards of ale.

Laughing triumphantly, the contents of Gimli's refilled mug sloshed around as he slammed t back onto the table, "What did I say?" He asked as Mirren tried to draw her eyes away from the frothy moustache he had gained during his competition, "He cant hold his liquor!"

The dwarfs words were slurred and he barely had time to blink before his eyes crossed and he fell backwards, head over heels, off of his stool with a loud crash.

"Game over." Legolas shrugged at The King's nephew as Mirren stood to check over Gimli.

"What shall we do with him?" She asked, checking the back of his sturdy head for any damage. He snored loudly and Mirren was content that he would not wake until the sun was at least half way across the sky tomorrow.

Crouching, she attempted to lift the dwarf but found that her dress wouldn't let her move to take most of Gimli's surprising weight.

"I will do it." Legolas offered for her, pulling on one of her braids as she lifted herself from the floor and straightened out her dress.

Mirren smiled softly at his boldness thanking him as she reached up to place a kiss on his cheek. A little drunk, Legolas couldn't stop the heat from rising to his face as she leaned away from him, her small laugh; a lilting and musical sound as she drifted away from their table, into the crowd once more.

"You are very lucky." Eomer's hand grasped the Prince's shoulder firmly as his eyes also traced the path of the elleth as she slipped away.

Legolas nodded, lifting Gimli ungraciously to his feet as the dwarf slept on. "More so than I deserve…"

The Marshall grunted in agreement, returning to the hall filled with his people as the elf dragged the slumped dwarf from the Golden Hall.

A/N Sorry for the slightly longer wait im trying to keep ahead of myself so i have the next three chapters written but i've lost a little inspiration recently, should all be on track soon though I hope! Love to you all as always...Tell me what you thinkif you want i always love the feedback!3 J