A/N: LAST CHAPTER!!!!!! * sobs....I really enjoyed writing this fic, I hope you all enjoyed reading it! Expect a sequel some time soon...* evil laughter...MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Ahem...sorry. I'm not done with Legolas yet! * starts fierce tug-of-war with Tolkien. Legolas is in the middle, looking quite helpless * Well, it's not really about Legolas.....it's about.....can't tell you!!! It will ruin the end of this one if I told you! You'll just have to wait and see!!! * more evil laughter ensues MWAHAHAHAHA!!!* Ok then, on with the fic. There's going to be an Epilogue, so I'm not really finished yet. R&R!!!
Chapter Eight
By sun's first light, they were already on their way. The morning was crisp, and a layer of dew clung onto everything. The trip back to Rivendell would be much longer than their departure, for the horses had been killed in the battle the day earlier. The ground was still smoldering, wisps of smoke and ash rising into the air. It would be some time before the field regained it's former glory.
Bren and Legolas walked hand in hand, both trying to engrave the memory of each other into their minds. Their hearts were laden with heavy grief, the knowledge of death creeping on the corner of their thoughts. It was an ever present thought, as horrible as it might be, and it seemed with every step they took, Bren was closer to dying. She was unhealthily thin, her bones sticking out awkwardly in places. The now tattered Rivendell dress hung limply, the beautiful curves it conformed to long gone. Her eyes still shone though, with a light of acceptance and courage.
Occasionally, one would look at the other, and begin second guessing themselves.
Was this the only way? Did Bren have to die?
Then their conscience would kick in, all questions dashed.
It was so hard for Legolas to look at Bren, and know in a few days, she would not be walking by his side. She would be with the earth, the True Ring destroyed, peace and happiness restored. But there would be no happiness for him. He wished they could have had more time. He wished he could have held her closer, loved her longer, kissed her sweeter. He wished so many things, and he knew, with a terrible understanding, that none would ever come true. Once Bren was gone, he would return to Mirkwood, to his duties, to his people, to his father, and little by little, the ones around him would push all thought of Bren from his grieving mind. They could never understand. Not even his father. All they saw of Bren was a woman of evil, crafted by Sauron's hand to do his bidding. They did not know the Bren he knew. The Bren who had been hurt, who had been abandoned by family, who had lost her only sister, who had gone through so much because of his own selfishness. He should have
realized sooner that he could do nothing for her. If he had, he would have spared her the pain he knew she bore.
It was painful watch her suffer.
Sometimes Bren would stop suddenly and drop to her knees, screaming at someone to stop.
Sometimes she would break down into tears, muttering incoherent things is a tongue that made Legolas shudder.
Legolas knew Sauron was speaking to her. He knew that he was hurting her with his evil words. She could hear him through the ring. He had every access to her mind through it. He could torture her, could curse her, could do anything he wanted, all because of the simple piece of silver.
In those times, Legolas would do anything possible to comfort her. Hold her close, kiss her softly, whisper kind words to push away the evil ones that plagued her. Though in time, the darkness that Sauron surrounded her with, he could not penetrate. Soon, he could do nothing. He soon found out watching was worse than sharing her pain.
The days stretched on horribly, the nights offering no remorse. Bren would be haunted by horrible things during her dreams, things only Legolas could imagine. She would cry out, sometimes scream, writhing on the ground like someone dipped in hot oil. Legolas would try to touch her, but she burned him. Her skin was on fire, sweat slicking her face. And yet, he could do nothing.
He could do nothing at all.
On the last morning, when Rivendell was in sight, Bren collapsed.
They had barely started walking, when out of nowhere, she just crumpled beside him. Legolas dove and caught her, loosing his balance in the process. Together they fell to the ground, Bren in his embrace. Legolas was shocked with fear, when he realized how small and thing she was now. He did not dare to hold her closer, for fear of snapping her in two. She was crying, gut wrenching sobs that wracked his heart. Her lithe form trembled in his embrace, curled into a ball of security.
"I can't do this anymore!" she cried, clinging onto him like a desperate child. "I-I just can't take it anymore!"
Legolas soothed her, pressing a soft kiss to her head, rocking back and forth. Tears prickled his eyes, but he held them back. Crying would help neither of them. Biting his lip, he looked into the distance, the breath catching in his throat as he spotted five horses speeding towards them. He recognized the riders instantly as Rivendell elves, their cloaks flapping in the wind.
"Ron tula." They come. He sent to her. "I'quessir en'Rivendell" The Elves of Rivendell.
Immediately she stopped crying, her head shooting up to look into the distance.
"I do not have eyes as yours, Legolas." She whispered, taking his hand softly. "But I believe you. We will wait." There was a great tone of finality in her voice, that gripped his heart. There was no turning back now. She turned to face him, her face like a ghostly wraith compared to the fiery woman he had known. There was no shine in her emerald eyes, her hair hanging dull and limp around her bony shoulders, accented by the unhealthy paleness of her skin. She tried to smile, but it was hollow. Legolas didn't even try to smile back.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you." He murmured, pulling her into a gentle hug. Her body cringed, and he immediately let go.
"I have hurt you." He said, eyes darting about.
"I guess I'm a little more frail now. The True Ring is really doing its job."
"A little?!" Legolas gasped, anger flashing in his eyes. "You're on the brink of death. I believe you more than a little frail."
Bren grimaced. "I try not to think about it." She answered, unable to meet his gaze. "I-I know what awaits me, and I will meet it when it comes. But right now, please do not talk of such things Legolas. I have never heard you sing, and I much desire to hear you do so before the end. Sing to me Legolas."
Bewildered, but accepting, Legolas wracked his mind for a melody fitting for her. There was not a tune he knew that could express what he felt at this time. There were no words to express his love. He knew not what to say. He could find nothing.
When he did not sing, Bren looked up, gazing into his clear blue eyes that still seemed to shine.
"Why are you silent?" she asked, touching his cheek gently.
Legolas closed his eyes, drawing his own hand to encase it in his. He sighed, drawing her so close, it was impossible to determine where one began and the other ended.
"I have always found." He began, fighting to keep his tone under control, "That silence was more than enough for us. I have no sweet words for you, for you once said, that sweet words would get me nowhere. So I choose silence. I need not to hear words to know you love me, and I hope it is the same with you, A'mael."
Somehow, Bren understood him, though she knew not how.
In a flurry of cloaks and hooves, the riders were upon them, bows strung, all aimed at the two.
"We will come with you." Legolas said, standing with Bren in his arms. "Do not hurt her, or you will answer to me."
Without words, one elf took Bren from him, placing her thin form on his horse. The other four bound Legolas' hands together, gruffly hoisting him onto his own steed. Together, they took off across the expanse, Rivendell looming in the distance, no longer welcoming to him. All the while they were silent, the only sounds of hooves against hard earth. In what seemed like no time, they were at the gates, where Lord Elrond stood with Aragorn by his side. Anduril was sheathed, the hilt gleaming in the morning sun.
"Well." Elrond began, a look of triumph on his wise face. "Finally you have returned. I must concede, it took you longer than I expected Prince Legolas."
Legolas did not answer, instead giving the Elf lord a look of pure disgust and hatred.
Aragorn approached him, helping him off his horse.
"Take the Lady. I must speak with Legolas before she is taken care of."
The King's words drove daggers into his heart. `Before she is taken care of' sounded like something one would say to a monster, or animal, not a living, breathing human. It hurt him to hear his friend say something so terrible.
Legolas allowed Aragorn to take him along, shifting uncomfortably in the rope that chaffed his skin painfully.
"Do not struggle." Aragorn whispered in his ear, "You will be let free soon enough."
They were led into the great house of Elrond, along the winding corridors that seemed to change every time Legolas came to Rivendell. They came to a fork some time later, and Bren had taken in a different direction. She shot him a look of terror before she disappeared with her guides. Elrond went along with her, but Aragorn took him down the left passageway and into a small room.
Once inside, he undid Legolas' bindings and offered him a seat. Legolas did not sit, staying as far away from him as possible. With a great sigh, Aragorn threw his hands in the air.
"Why did you leave?" he asked. "Why did you take her when you knew you could do nothing?"
Legolas frowned deeply. "I took her because I am one who protects the innocent when no one else will. I believed then there was something I could do. I believed in letting her live, because she had done nothing to deserve your, or Elrond's harsh words. You sentenced her to death even before you stopped to consider that she has done nothing." His voice was rising. It was hard to keep his anger in check. "I wanted to do everything I could to make this easier for her, when everyone was against her. I wanted to do something. I did not wish to see her die so soon. I know now there is nothing I can do, but I at least had the willingness to try."
Aragorn did not reply, arms folded tightly across his chest. He had a strange look in his wild eyes, a look Legolas could not place. It was foreign to him.
There was a long silence, that stretched out uncomfortably, the tension building in the strangely stuffy air.
"Perhaps you are right." Aragorn finally said, his tone cautious. "Perhaps we should have considered things before making hasty decisions. But you still had no right to take her. Anything could have happened. Sauron's servants could have captured her, and then we would have had no hope. She would have been safer here."
"We did not run into any problems." Legolas replied curtly. "She was safe in my care."
Aragorn's eyes narrowed, his frown deepening.
"Do not lie to me. Do not think we did not hear the Azzad-Lûd many a night ago. I know they overcame you, though I am in the dark as to how you escaped alive. Care to grace me with your latest heroic tale?"
His words were like poison, seeping into Legolas' very soul.
"I will not say." He answered, tone wavering on the edge of fear. Legolas had never had the need to be afraid in the presence of his close friend. It was a strange feeling, new to his senses.
"Than I will not press the matter further." Aragorn replied, turning with a swish of his dark cloak to open the door. "Come friend Legolas. Already the day is long, and I wish to return to Gondor soon. This will not take long."
Reluctantly, Legolas followed, treading quickly behind.
He was led to the very place where the council had been taken many a night ago. Bren stood, supported by two elves, on the far side. Her eyes were red and puffy, a few lone tears still on her pale cheeks.
Legolas held back the urge to run to her side. The pain was overwhelming. Seeing her suffer so, and knowing that in a few moments, she would be dead. His heart ached more than he had ever felt, a persistent ache was penetrated every part of him, dulled every sense. Elrond was talking, but he did not hear him. All he could do was gaze at his love, his dying love, and wait for the end. Time seemed to stretch on for eternity as he stood. Tears were welling up in his eyes, his lip trembling. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, the skin icy cold. Looking up, he locked gazes with Elrond, who was smiling, but not a smile that warmed him, it was a smile that sent chills down his spine.
"I have one last thing to request from you." He said, his voice echoing to every ear that was listening. Legolas was surprised to see a crowd had gathered, who were whispering amongst themselves, shooting glances of disgust in Bren's direction.
"What do you want?" He spat in return, fists clenching by his side.
"I believe, since it was you who defied my orders, it will be you who shall kill her."
It was like someone had punched him the chest. All the breath was taken from him in one violent swoop. Legolas felt his throat constrict, his stomach dissolve in a wave of pain. How could Elrond request such a thing? It was harder than ever to keep the tears back now. His heart throbbed with sorrow and grief. It was unbearable.
His gaze shifted to Bren, a pleading look in his eyes.
"You must." She sent him, breaking down into tears, the voice in his head unbelievably calm for how horribly she cried. "You know you must."
Fighting back every urge he had to cry with her, Legolas drew his bow, notching an arrow. His hand trembled as he pulled the string back slowly, and he realized that his tears had escaped, and were flowing gently. The elves that held her, tensed their grip, though they had no need to. Bren was not struggling. She stood proudly, still crying, her eyes never leaving Legolas'.
Then he let go.
Time seemed to slow then, and once again she spoke to him, in a voice that brought forth more tears.
"Cormessa." My name. "Naa Lael." Is Lael.
Then the arrow pierced her soft skin, striking her heart. The elves let go, and she slumped to the ground, body limp.
Legolas rushed to her side, sobbing violently. He held her in his arms, burying his head in her hair. He felt so much grief, he could feel nothing else.
Though somehow, he felt the soft fingers that brushed against his cheek.
For a moment, he stopped crying, pulling back to look at her.
Her eyes were barely open, and to his joy, they shone again, like they should.
With what little strength she had left, Bren kissed him one last time, letting her desire overpower her. Hands weakly entwining up around his neck, she held him one last time. One last time, she touched him, engraving his smooth ivory skin in her memory. And one last time, Lael, felt her fading heart against his, that she knew would beat in unison until the end of time.
End.
Chapter Eight
By sun's first light, they were already on their way. The morning was crisp, and a layer of dew clung onto everything. The trip back to Rivendell would be much longer than their departure, for the horses had been killed in the battle the day earlier. The ground was still smoldering, wisps of smoke and ash rising into the air. It would be some time before the field regained it's former glory.
Bren and Legolas walked hand in hand, both trying to engrave the memory of each other into their minds. Their hearts were laden with heavy grief, the knowledge of death creeping on the corner of their thoughts. It was an ever present thought, as horrible as it might be, and it seemed with every step they took, Bren was closer to dying. She was unhealthily thin, her bones sticking out awkwardly in places. The now tattered Rivendell dress hung limply, the beautiful curves it conformed to long gone. Her eyes still shone though, with a light of acceptance and courage.
Occasionally, one would look at the other, and begin second guessing themselves.
Was this the only way? Did Bren have to die?
Then their conscience would kick in, all questions dashed.
It was so hard for Legolas to look at Bren, and know in a few days, she would not be walking by his side. She would be with the earth, the True Ring destroyed, peace and happiness restored. But there would be no happiness for him. He wished they could have had more time. He wished he could have held her closer, loved her longer, kissed her sweeter. He wished so many things, and he knew, with a terrible understanding, that none would ever come true. Once Bren was gone, he would return to Mirkwood, to his duties, to his people, to his father, and little by little, the ones around him would push all thought of Bren from his grieving mind. They could never understand. Not even his father. All they saw of Bren was a woman of evil, crafted by Sauron's hand to do his bidding. They did not know the Bren he knew. The Bren who had been hurt, who had been abandoned by family, who had lost her only sister, who had gone through so much because of his own selfishness. He should have
realized sooner that he could do nothing for her. If he had, he would have spared her the pain he knew she bore.
It was painful watch her suffer.
Sometimes Bren would stop suddenly and drop to her knees, screaming at someone to stop.
Sometimes she would break down into tears, muttering incoherent things is a tongue that made Legolas shudder.
Legolas knew Sauron was speaking to her. He knew that he was hurting her with his evil words. She could hear him through the ring. He had every access to her mind through it. He could torture her, could curse her, could do anything he wanted, all because of the simple piece of silver.
In those times, Legolas would do anything possible to comfort her. Hold her close, kiss her softly, whisper kind words to push away the evil ones that plagued her. Though in time, the darkness that Sauron surrounded her with, he could not penetrate. Soon, he could do nothing. He soon found out watching was worse than sharing her pain.
The days stretched on horribly, the nights offering no remorse. Bren would be haunted by horrible things during her dreams, things only Legolas could imagine. She would cry out, sometimes scream, writhing on the ground like someone dipped in hot oil. Legolas would try to touch her, but she burned him. Her skin was on fire, sweat slicking her face. And yet, he could do nothing.
He could do nothing at all.
On the last morning, when Rivendell was in sight, Bren collapsed.
They had barely started walking, when out of nowhere, she just crumpled beside him. Legolas dove and caught her, loosing his balance in the process. Together they fell to the ground, Bren in his embrace. Legolas was shocked with fear, when he realized how small and thing she was now. He did not dare to hold her closer, for fear of snapping her in two. She was crying, gut wrenching sobs that wracked his heart. Her lithe form trembled in his embrace, curled into a ball of security.
"I can't do this anymore!" she cried, clinging onto him like a desperate child. "I-I just can't take it anymore!"
Legolas soothed her, pressing a soft kiss to her head, rocking back and forth. Tears prickled his eyes, but he held them back. Crying would help neither of them. Biting his lip, he looked into the distance, the breath catching in his throat as he spotted five horses speeding towards them. He recognized the riders instantly as Rivendell elves, their cloaks flapping in the wind.
"Ron tula." They come. He sent to her. "I'quessir en'Rivendell" The Elves of Rivendell.
Immediately she stopped crying, her head shooting up to look into the distance.
"I do not have eyes as yours, Legolas." She whispered, taking his hand softly. "But I believe you. We will wait." There was a great tone of finality in her voice, that gripped his heart. There was no turning back now. She turned to face him, her face like a ghostly wraith compared to the fiery woman he had known. There was no shine in her emerald eyes, her hair hanging dull and limp around her bony shoulders, accented by the unhealthy paleness of her skin. She tried to smile, but it was hollow. Legolas didn't even try to smile back.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you." He murmured, pulling her into a gentle hug. Her body cringed, and he immediately let go.
"I have hurt you." He said, eyes darting about.
"I guess I'm a little more frail now. The True Ring is really doing its job."
"A little?!" Legolas gasped, anger flashing in his eyes. "You're on the brink of death. I believe you more than a little frail."
Bren grimaced. "I try not to think about it." She answered, unable to meet his gaze. "I-I know what awaits me, and I will meet it when it comes. But right now, please do not talk of such things Legolas. I have never heard you sing, and I much desire to hear you do so before the end. Sing to me Legolas."
Bewildered, but accepting, Legolas wracked his mind for a melody fitting for her. There was not a tune he knew that could express what he felt at this time. There were no words to express his love. He knew not what to say. He could find nothing.
When he did not sing, Bren looked up, gazing into his clear blue eyes that still seemed to shine.
"Why are you silent?" she asked, touching his cheek gently.
Legolas closed his eyes, drawing his own hand to encase it in his. He sighed, drawing her so close, it was impossible to determine where one began and the other ended.
"I have always found." He began, fighting to keep his tone under control, "That silence was more than enough for us. I have no sweet words for you, for you once said, that sweet words would get me nowhere. So I choose silence. I need not to hear words to know you love me, and I hope it is the same with you, A'mael."
Somehow, Bren understood him, though she knew not how.
In a flurry of cloaks and hooves, the riders were upon them, bows strung, all aimed at the two.
"We will come with you." Legolas said, standing with Bren in his arms. "Do not hurt her, or you will answer to me."
Without words, one elf took Bren from him, placing her thin form on his horse. The other four bound Legolas' hands together, gruffly hoisting him onto his own steed. Together, they took off across the expanse, Rivendell looming in the distance, no longer welcoming to him. All the while they were silent, the only sounds of hooves against hard earth. In what seemed like no time, they were at the gates, where Lord Elrond stood with Aragorn by his side. Anduril was sheathed, the hilt gleaming in the morning sun.
"Well." Elrond began, a look of triumph on his wise face. "Finally you have returned. I must concede, it took you longer than I expected Prince Legolas."
Legolas did not answer, instead giving the Elf lord a look of pure disgust and hatred.
Aragorn approached him, helping him off his horse.
"Take the Lady. I must speak with Legolas before she is taken care of."
The King's words drove daggers into his heart. `Before she is taken care of' sounded like something one would say to a monster, or animal, not a living, breathing human. It hurt him to hear his friend say something so terrible.
Legolas allowed Aragorn to take him along, shifting uncomfortably in the rope that chaffed his skin painfully.
"Do not struggle." Aragorn whispered in his ear, "You will be let free soon enough."
They were led into the great house of Elrond, along the winding corridors that seemed to change every time Legolas came to Rivendell. They came to a fork some time later, and Bren had taken in a different direction. She shot him a look of terror before she disappeared with her guides. Elrond went along with her, but Aragorn took him down the left passageway and into a small room.
Once inside, he undid Legolas' bindings and offered him a seat. Legolas did not sit, staying as far away from him as possible. With a great sigh, Aragorn threw his hands in the air.
"Why did you leave?" he asked. "Why did you take her when you knew you could do nothing?"
Legolas frowned deeply. "I took her because I am one who protects the innocent when no one else will. I believed then there was something I could do. I believed in letting her live, because she had done nothing to deserve your, or Elrond's harsh words. You sentenced her to death even before you stopped to consider that she has done nothing." His voice was rising. It was hard to keep his anger in check. "I wanted to do everything I could to make this easier for her, when everyone was against her. I wanted to do something. I did not wish to see her die so soon. I know now there is nothing I can do, but I at least had the willingness to try."
Aragorn did not reply, arms folded tightly across his chest. He had a strange look in his wild eyes, a look Legolas could not place. It was foreign to him.
There was a long silence, that stretched out uncomfortably, the tension building in the strangely stuffy air.
"Perhaps you are right." Aragorn finally said, his tone cautious. "Perhaps we should have considered things before making hasty decisions. But you still had no right to take her. Anything could have happened. Sauron's servants could have captured her, and then we would have had no hope. She would have been safer here."
"We did not run into any problems." Legolas replied curtly. "She was safe in my care."
Aragorn's eyes narrowed, his frown deepening.
"Do not lie to me. Do not think we did not hear the Azzad-Lûd many a night ago. I know they overcame you, though I am in the dark as to how you escaped alive. Care to grace me with your latest heroic tale?"
His words were like poison, seeping into Legolas' very soul.
"I will not say." He answered, tone wavering on the edge of fear. Legolas had never had the need to be afraid in the presence of his close friend. It was a strange feeling, new to his senses.
"Than I will not press the matter further." Aragorn replied, turning with a swish of his dark cloak to open the door. "Come friend Legolas. Already the day is long, and I wish to return to Gondor soon. This will not take long."
Reluctantly, Legolas followed, treading quickly behind.
He was led to the very place where the council had been taken many a night ago. Bren stood, supported by two elves, on the far side. Her eyes were red and puffy, a few lone tears still on her pale cheeks.
Legolas held back the urge to run to her side. The pain was overwhelming. Seeing her suffer so, and knowing that in a few moments, she would be dead. His heart ached more than he had ever felt, a persistent ache was penetrated every part of him, dulled every sense. Elrond was talking, but he did not hear him. All he could do was gaze at his love, his dying love, and wait for the end. Time seemed to stretch on for eternity as he stood. Tears were welling up in his eyes, his lip trembling. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, the skin icy cold. Looking up, he locked gazes with Elrond, who was smiling, but not a smile that warmed him, it was a smile that sent chills down his spine.
"I have one last thing to request from you." He said, his voice echoing to every ear that was listening. Legolas was surprised to see a crowd had gathered, who were whispering amongst themselves, shooting glances of disgust in Bren's direction.
"What do you want?" He spat in return, fists clenching by his side.
"I believe, since it was you who defied my orders, it will be you who shall kill her."
It was like someone had punched him the chest. All the breath was taken from him in one violent swoop. Legolas felt his throat constrict, his stomach dissolve in a wave of pain. How could Elrond request such a thing? It was harder than ever to keep the tears back now. His heart throbbed with sorrow and grief. It was unbearable.
His gaze shifted to Bren, a pleading look in his eyes.
"You must." She sent him, breaking down into tears, the voice in his head unbelievably calm for how horribly she cried. "You know you must."
Fighting back every urge he had to cry with her, Legolas drew his bow, notching an arrow. His hand trembled as he pulled the string back slowly, and he realized that his tears had escaped, and were flowing gently. The elves that held her, tensed their grip, though they had no need to. Bren was not struggling. She stood proudly, still crying, her eyes never leaving Legolas'.
Then he let go.
Time seemed to slow then, and once again she spoke to him, in a voice that brought forth more tears.
"Cormessa." My name. "Naa Lael." Is Lael.
Then the arrow pierced her soft skin, striking her heart. The elves let go, and she slumped to the ground, body limp.
Legolas rushed to her side, sobbing violently. He held her in his arms, burying his head in her hair. He felt so much grief, he could feel nothing else.
Though somehow, he felt the soft fingers that brushed against his cheek.
For a moment, he stopped crying, pulling back to look at her.
Her eyes were barely open, and to his joy, they shone again, like they should.
With what little strength she had left, Bren kissed him one last time, letting her desire overpower her. Hands weakly entwining up around his neck, she held him one last time. One last time, she touched him, engraving his smooth ivory skin in her memory. And one last time, Lael, felt her fading heart against his, that she knew would beat in unison until the end of time.
End.