Disclaimer: so now that I've finished the trilogy and am making strong headway into Appendix A of ROTK, I hope that I have a better understanding of the characters. Though I must admit to relying heavily upon my reaction to the first film. So what you see here is just my own little version of what would happen to these characters given the situations I've put them in. I make no claim to owning them and the only profit I'm making is in joy. Thanks again to the reviewers. And thanks to long weekends that allow more time for writing.

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Time and Space

Chapter 12



I had never met royalty, nary a prince or queen. But standing there, being so close to him, I felt something. No words could adequately describe it being so utterly foreign to me. All I can say is that I felt a sense of regalness, an air of confidence that was so very different from Legolas'. This man was a king without even saying a word.

Yet, the two remained where they were. Neither had made a move towards the other. This struck me as odd given Legolas' intense desire to meet Aragorn. But what did I really expect? Perhaps they kept this distance when they were together all those years ago. Perhaps men didn't hug or shake hands.

It was at that moment that Legolas moved. In an instant, he was in front of Aragorn. The older man then smiled and held his friend's shoulders his face beaming. "Ah, the Prince of Mirkwood has returned." He then drew him in and the two men embraced tightly. I couldn't help but smile myself.

The hug ended, but Legolas touched his friend's cheek. "It is you, Elessar. Truly." They held the pose a moment, the lilt of that beautiful language flowing lightly between them. "Time has been kind to you, dear friend," Legolas said once more in English.

"Time..." He looked weary, remembering some sad time. He then recomposed himself. "Ah, you do me credit. But there are one or two lines anew from whence we last met." He bent down, grabbed his bag and continued. "I am glad to see you well, Legolas."

"And you."

They walked up to me. "Elessar, may I introduce to you Kaitlin Myers of Men." He leaned into Aragorn. "She is a most talented healer."

Aragorn's eyes bore into me. Looking back, I was struck at how young looking he appeared. He must have been over a hundred years old, but he could easily have passed for someone in his forties. Some whiteness showed at his temples, but the rest of his hair retained its natural darkness. His skin was that of a man who spent much time outdoors, a little worn and coloured. Still, there was a handsomeness to him.

Gazing up at this man, this hero in Legolas' eyes, I was struck by his countenance. If he had been a king in some other lifetime, no haughtiness came forth. He was gentle, kind, despite his circumstances. If my theory were true then this man had been through a horrific ordeal. Yet, something within him gave him the strength to continue. His calm, or perhaps wisdom, allowed him to survive. No, not just survive, prosper. But there was something else there. The kinship I felt with Legolas was stronger in Aragorn. That I felt that just with a gaze surprised me. That I felt it at all was a greater surprise. His arrival was now creating new questions.

"A healer," he finally said. He nodded. "Mm." He continued to look upon me, until a smile spread across his lips. "So it is you I should be thanking, Marie Jones."

I blushed. "Perhaps you should hold your thanks until we've sorted this all out. And that's going to be a long story."

"Come then." He put his arm around my shoulders. "Let us begin our stories, but elsewhere."

So the three of us left the airport. But somewhere, some place quiet in my mind, a tiny alarm was sounding. Something wasn't right.



Ignoring the tiny warning, we made our way to a small restaurant. Aragorn was quiet as we drove, taking in all that passed by. Legolas, too, was silent. My attempt to point out a few interests failed to elicit anything more than an "Oh" or "Ah". So I gave up.

Sitting down, Aragorn once again looked at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. He cocked his head, but said nothing. The waiter came by pulling him out of his concentration. A few minutes later, we were once again alone.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask that they all jumbled inside my head. I was extremely curious to find out how he met Tolkien, how Tolkien could come to believe such a fantastical tale, how he managed to survive all those years without his companions. Most of all, though, I wanted to know if he had any ideas on how to get back.

"Elessar," Legolas began, "please, tell us the tale. How did you survive? Where is Arwen? And what of Gimli?"

The waiter returned with a hot cup of coffee for Aragorn and tea for Legolas and myself. Aragorn wrapped his hands around the mug, waiting to begin his story. "I am unsure if I can answer the questions you have, but I will tell you what I know. I pray that will help us, if only a little."

And then he began.



"I remember the feeling vividly. So many emotions were swirling within me that I felt as though I would burst. My insides felt as though they were being pulled apart, my head throbbed and ached. But the pain I felt wasn't for myself, it was for you...for Arwen.

Lausona's magic sent me to such a horrible, dark place that the Balrog of Moria would have been fearful. Sounds exploded around me; shouts of men, banging of strange items, the sky lit up as though in a horrific storm. I arrived there, face down in mud, in amongst running men. Only they weren't men as I knew. These were strangely garbed, crying out, screaming in agony. The light filled the sky once more with a boom to follow. This forced me up to my knees. Barely able to see, I could make out some sort of embankment surrounding both sides of me. Men kept running, shouting. A spurt of fire erupted from a long stick held by a few of them along with a rapid sound, like that of rain hitting a metal roof. But louder, much louder. I went to cover my ears when a man pulled on my arm, heaving me forward. I was dragged, barely able to walk to another place further down inside the tunnel.

With a huff, I was thrown into some sort of make-shift shelter, but it did little to alleviate the pounding, the shaking of the ground. To say that something horrible was happening was to say that the sun was nothing more than a pinprick of light in the sky. So overwhelmed, I could only huddle within, drawing myself close, praying that it would soon be over. Had I my full senses, I would have searched for you, Legolas, and Gimli and Arwen. Yet, I could not. I was a coward."

He gazed down at his coffee.

I wanted to say that his reaction was probably very normal, given that this sort of thing doesn't happen too frequently. I wanted to say, too, that nothing could have prepared him for what he entered into. But they would have been just words, offering little comfort.

"I stayed there," he continued, "unable to move for many hours. Not until the light of morning penetrated the darkness did anyone venture near me. Resting my head upon my folded arms, I did not see the man come near. 'Are you hurt?' he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and found a dirty but concerned face staring down. I shook my head. 'No,' I managed to reply hoarsely. 'Come,' he instructed stepping back. 'We've been sent to the rear lines.' He waited for me. Having little idea what he meant or what to do, I followed him.

The sounds had stopped. Only the voices of men calling could be heard. The occassional boom sounded, but from far away. The sun was risen, but had yet to penetrate the smoke that remained.

We walked through the tunnel, only now I could see that it was not a tunnel proper, but a trench, dug within the ground. To my right, were men with metal helmets watching the battlefield. To my left were holes dug out of the earth, some containing sleeping men, others with gaunt, terrified boys. I shuddered, but was thankful that Arwen had not followed me to such a place. To have her beauty sundered would have broken my heart.

We finally wound our way through the maze of trenches until we were above ground. Tents littered the landscape as far as I could see. Great metal monstrosities sat as though waiting for a call to commit some devilry. My guide led us to a rather large tent. Following him in, I noticed that he raised his hand to his head and stood rod straight. The occupant of the tent returned the gesture, then glared hard at me. I mimicked the movement and was rewarded with an end to the glare.

'Well, Major?' the man said.

My companion stepped forward. 'Sir, we've lost heavy casualties on the east ridge. At least two battalions of men were lost. Seven tanks were also bogged down in the mud.' He paused. 'Jerry knew we were going to attack.'

The man at the desk grabbed something from a box, put it to his mouth and then reached for a personal fire maker. Moments later, he puffed on the item causing smoke to pour forth. 'Right.' He rose. 'Well, then, we'll have to re-double our efforts, what what. Show the kaiser what stuff the British are made of, hmm?'

My escort stiffened somewhat. 'Sir, I'm not convinced that we can take this piece of land. The Germans are heavily fortified. Our weapons made no difference to them last night.'

The smoking man stood in front of us. 'I'll not be having such a negative attitude. Hurts morale. We need our fighting boys in the best of spirits, what what. Give it to them proudly, Johnny boy. They'll come through for us.' His yellowy grin did little to appease my guide.

'Sir.' He stepped back and gave the hand gesture once more. The smoker looked at me. 'You'll show them, won't you? Good British stock.' He punched my shoulder. 'Nothing gets us down, what what.' He turned quickly on his heel and hunched over a map on his desk. A tug on my arm caused me to turn. 'Oh and do get a new uniform,' the smoker said turning. 'Only the King's clothes for you, my good man.' He blew out some blue smoke."



Aragorn took another sip of coffee.

I was stunned. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "You were there," I finally said. "You were really there."

He looked up at me with a sad nod. I could only rub my forehead. "God, I'm so sorry. To have come here then...I couldn't imagine."

He smirked. "Not exactly the choice I had, either."

Legolas could only look at us with confusion.

"Which battle was it?" I inquired. My knowledge of history wasn't terribly extensive, but there were one or two battles I was aware of.

"Ypres," he said quietly, looking once again at his coffee.

I sighed. Thousands of young men had been killed there. "You were lucky to make it out of there alive."

He breathed in deeply. "At the time, part of me wished for death." He looked at me, his grey eyes filled with sorrow. "To have lost the one I loved so dearly..." He closed his eyes and breathed out. "Ah, but that was long ago." He turned to Legolas. "Tell me Legolas, how have you fared in this new world?"

"Not as well as you, I fear."

Aragorn cocked an eyebrow. "Has my Elf become less jovial?" He gestured towards me. "Has your accomplice not given you hope? Come, come, Prince of Mirkwood, there must be some pleasures to be found here."

"Well," I stepped in, "there is one thing Legolas seems to enjoy doing." A sly grin crossed my lips.



Flying down the highway, I could see that even Aragorn enjoyed the speed of cars. Legolas once again felt the pleasure of going so fast. Being so late at night, the road was practically ours.

"Ah, this is exhilarating." The open windows nearly drowned out Aragorn's voice. "We have these in England, but I have so few opportunities to drive at such speeds." He turned behind to Legolas. "And I see that you have indulged in this modern invention as well, Greenleaf." The Elf opened an eye. "Truly, it is wondrous!"

A while later, we pulled into a motel. My paranoia about being back in the city hadn't left me. I was anxious to get far away, at least for the time being. Added to that was the jet lag Aragorn was finally experiencing. His yawning told me that we had better find some place for the night.

"Forgive me, Legolas," Aragorn started, "but I fear that I am getting old. I can not remain awake for days on end as I could in my youth."

Legolas only smiled. "Do not worry. Lin tells me that your journey here was long and tiring." He gripped his friend's shoulder. "We shall continue our stories fresh tomorrow. Rest well."

"And you." With a turn of the key, Aragorn was in his room.

"Don't you want to be with him?" I asked as Legolas entered my own room. I had assumed that they would share the room, having spent so much time apart that they would want to be together as much as possible.

He shook his head. "Aragorn needs his rest. Were I there, I would only question him incessantly about his time here." He shut the door and noticed that I was pulling out my pyjamas. "Will my staying here cause you discomfort?"

I chuckled. "Not anymore." I recalled his first shower and the lack of towel around his naked body. Grabbing my clothes, I headed into the washroom. "Take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." Not hearing any reply, I assumed he followed my instructions, but when I emerged a few minutes later, freshly tooth brushed and washed, I found him standing at the window. My eyes narrowed. Was he reverting back? Did meeting Aragorn and hearing his story lull Legolas back into his own little world again?

Was I being overly neurotic? I mentally slapped myself.

"Is there something out there?" I finally said, trying to be as casual as I could.

He turned his body, allowing the moonlight to create shadow across half his form. I caught my breath. He was truly specatcular in the moonlight. His features were soft, but defined. The sweater created a beautiful outline of his body and his hair. My God but his hair seemed to glow. It was luminescent in the pale light.

"I merely wish to keep watch," he finally said quietly.

"Watch?"

"Yes." He resumed his original stance. "I sensed your uneasiness while in the city."

My brow furrowed. "You could?"

He nodded. "You were fearful of something."

I sat on the bed. "Yes. Of you being taken by the men in the white lab coats."

"No. Something else causes your anxiety. Something darker."

Okay, this was beginning to disturb me. Just how connected were we becoming? "I guess I was just worried," I finally said, trying to lighten the mood. "But everything's fine now. You don't have to pull guard duty."

I could see his face turn a little then resume its position forward. "I am little tired, so please allow me to indulge myself in this. Let me protect the King as best I can."

I shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll take the bed then." I threw back the covers and jumped in. Turning out the light, I wondered how I would be able to sleep with Legolas there watching. It was a strange sensation to say the least.

After a few moments in the dark, I spoke. "Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for having faith."

"You're welcome," he finally whispered.

Smiling, I wrapped the blankets around me and drifted off. It would prove to be the best night's rest I would have in a very long time.

To be continued...



Note: many thanks to all those who have reviewed this story and especially to those who say specifically what they like. Personally, I find more detail useful so I know what's working and what isn't. Again, apologies on the delay in updating. I've been trying to get back into LOTR mode after seeing Star Wars this week (I've been a fan since I was five and a half). Don't worry, though, I won't leave our protaganist in the lurch. More will come.