Epilogue: Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming
The forest of Rivendell was silent. The trees towered above a lone figure, who sat still, back against a cold trunk. He was barely breathing, only small, barely noticeable puffs of steam rising into the air, the cold snow underneath seemingly not bothering him. He was cold though, but not in a way most would.
His heart was cold, the light long since extinguished.
He relished in being alone, having nothing but nature to confide in. The silence soothed his weary soul. The sounds around him unwinding his tightly strung body. It had been a long day.
Silently, he stood, his feet leaving no imprint in the glittering powder that littered the forest floor.
He walked for a while, not really going anywhere, his thoughts on nothing in particular.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind him. A gruff looking Dwarf approached, clad in warm skins.
"Gimli." The figure said softly, trying to smile. "Why do you come looking for me?"
The Dwarf did not reply, bushy brows furrowing in thought. He took a few more steps forward, coming to stop beside his friend. He continued to stare for a while, before he found an answer.
"I know you grieve for Aragorn's death, Legolas." Gimli said roughly. "But I know too your thoughts dwell on another."
Legolas almost smiled. The dwarf was right. His thoughts did dwell on another. But it pained him much to think of her, so he did not do so for very long. Gimli always had a way of knowing him better than most. He could tell when something bothered him, though most times did not offer comfort. But Legolas did not think less of him for it. Dwarvish nature was not the kind to comfort Elves, and perhaps it would always be that way. But Gimli was his friend. That was all that mattered.
"Yes." He answered. "You know me well, Master Dwarf."
Gimli snorted, fingering his axe.
"I do not see why you think of her. She was a witch woman, born of Sauron. You were foolish to have your heart swayed by her enchantment."
Legolas grimaced. It hurt him to hear Gimli say such things, though he knew he could not convince his friend otherwise. Gimli had his opinion, and he was allowed to have it, even if it pained Legolas.
"You did not know her as I did..." he murmured, looking ahead through the trees. "Perhaps you would not say such things of her if you had."
Again Gimli snorted, this time, his boots crunching in the snow as he left.
"We leave for Gondor soon." He called over his shoulder. "The West awaits us."
And with that, he was gone.
Legolas continued on, meandering through the winter wonderland that sparkled as though made of diamonds. Every now and then, his keen Elvish ears would pick up the faint thump as snow slid off the evergreen branches, or a call of a lone bird. Other than that, the forest was still and silent.
It was a long while before he stopped, resting his palm on a thick tree trunk.
Light from the waning moon spilled in through the canopy, lighting the ground ahead of him. One such ray shed it's light on him, filling his stiff body with a strange feeling of serenity. He closed his eyes, soaking in the comfort it gave.
Suddenly, a foreign sound graced his ears. It was soft, though seemed close by. The pure, sweet, enchanting sound washed over him, sending chills coursing throughout. It was a song, he soon realized, though the words were lost to him. The voice was so beautiful, it brought tears to his eyes, and compelled him to search out whoever was singing.
As he took off, the words became clearer, their melodious sound more wonderful than any Elvish song he had heard.
`Lo how a rose e're blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung,
From earth's rich soil coming,
As those of old have sung'
`It came a flower bright'
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night'
Legolas peered into the glade before him, the breath leaving him the moment he caught sight of the one who sung such beautiful words.
It seemed as though he had taken a step back in time. He believed it a dream, it seemed so real. He could not believe what he saw. `My eyes must be deceiving me' he thought vaguely, as his gaze landed gracefully of the creature before him.
It was Bren.
Legolas could feel the tears that had unconsciously started falling, warm and wet against his cold cheeks. She looked the same as when he'd seen her in Rivendell. The same red dress clung to her smoothly, her fiery red hair was placed in braids upon her head held firm by the diamond flower, her skin seemed to glow on it's own like he remembered, and her eyes, the same eyes that held so much love, shone as they never had before.
She was looking at him too, smiling warmly, like an angel, sitting tall and regal as a queen would atop a green mound. She was holding a single white rose in her perfect hand, held close to her beautiful lips.
Blinded by his tears of joy, Legolas somehow stumbled to her, falling to his knees and clutching her dress, crying uncontrollably into the soft fabric. Her warmth comforted him, melted his frozen heart. The ache faded from his heart instantly, replaced by such a joy he had never felt before.
He felt her soft hand brush his hair gently, her angelic voice cutting through the silence.
"Legolas, do not cry." She whispered. "Do not cry, for you have no need to."
Legolas sighed, lifting his head to gaze upon her face. He could not believe she was here. It was impossible....
"I am not here. I never have been." Bren continued, reading his thoughts.
"Than-Than how.....?"
"I am in the West." She answered his question even before he asked it.
"But how?" Legolas murmured, almost pleading. "You died. I killed you myself...."
Bren silenced him with her finger, her eyes telling him to be silent. "When an immortal gives themselves to the one they love, fully, in every way, a part of them in given to the other. That is how it is with us Legolas. You gave part of yourself to me, so I can never die. I am immortal now."
Legolas was awed. He could find no words to say. She heard his thoughts though, and replied to the question he didn't want to ask.
"As for the ring.....it was indeed destroyed, because my mortal body was killed. Because I was created by Sauron, the immortality you gave me could not manifest itself within me. Once I died, my spirit wandered, until somehow, it found Galadriel and she created another. The woman before you is immortal, the one you knew was not. Now I am in the West, and I await you patiently."
With her final words, she began to fade.
Legolas cried out, desperately trying to hold her.
"Namaarie Legolas." She whispered, "Cormamin niuve tenna ta' elea lle au'"
Farwell, my heart shall weep until it sees thee again.
Legolas watched her go, until he could no longer see her. Once again the forest was silent.
"I shall go to the West." He said loudly, "I shall come to you my Lael, and hold you in my arms once again."
And so, Legolas left the forest of Rivendell with Gimli and sailed to the West, with the bodies of King Elessar, Merry and Pippin in their boats.
Never to return.
The forest of Rivendell was silent. The trees towered above a lone figure, who sat still, back against a cold trunk. He was barely breathing, only small, barely noticeable puffs of steam rising into the air, the cold snow underneath seemingly not bothering him. He was cold though, but not in a way most would.
His heart was cold, the light long since extinguished.
He relished in being alone, having nothing but nature to confide in. The silence soothed his weary soul. The sounds around him unwinding his tightly strung body. It had been a long day.
Silently, he stood, his feet leaving no imprint in the glittering powder that littered the forest floor.
He walked for a while, not really going anywhere, his thoughts on nothing in particular.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind him. A gruff looking Dwarf approached, clad in warm skins.
"Gimli." The figure said softly, trying to smile. "Why do you come looking for me?"
The Dwarf did not reply, bushy brows furrowing in thought. He took a few more steps forward, coming to stop beside his friend. He continued to stare for a while, before he found an answer.
"I know you grieve for Aragorn's death, Legolas." Gimli said roughly. "But I know too your thoughts dwell on another."
Legolas almost smiled. The dwarf was right. His thoughts did dwell on another. But it pained him much to think of her, so he did not do so for very long. Gimli always had a way of knowing him better than most. He could tell when something bothered him, though most times did not offer comfort. But Legolas did not think less of him for it. Dwarvish nature was not the kind to comfort Elves, and perhaps it would always be that way. But Gimli was his friend. That was all that mattered.
"Yes." He answered. "You know me well, Master Dwarf."
Gimli snorted, fingering his axe.
"I do not see why you think of her. She was a witch woman, born of Sauron. You were foolish to have your heart swayed by her enchantment."
Legolas grimaced. It hurt him to hear Gimli say such things, though he knew he could not convince his friend otherwise. Gimli had his opinion, and he was allowed to have it, even if it pained Legolas.
"You did not know her as I did..." he murmured, looking ahead through the trees. "Perhaps you would not say such things of her if you had."
Again Gimli snorted, this time, his boots crunching in the snow as he left.
"We leave for Gondor soon." He called over his shoulder. "The West awaits us."
And with that, he was gone.
Legolas continued on, meandering through the winter wonderland that sparkled as though made of diamonds. Every now and then, his keen Elvish ears would pick up the faint thump as snow slid off the evergreen branches, or a call of a lone bird. Other than that, the forest was still and silent.
It was a long while before he stopped, resting his palm on a thick tree trunk.
Light from the waning moon spilled in through the canopy, lighting the ground ahead of him. One such ray shed it's light on him, filling his stiff body with a strange feeling of serenity. He closed his eyes, soaking in the comfort it gave.
Suddenly, a foreign sound graced his ears. It was soft, though seemed close by. The pure, sweet, enchanting sound washed over him, sending chills coursing throughout. It was a song, he soon realized, though the words were lost to him. The voice was so beautiful, it brought tears to his eyes, and compelled him to search out whoever was singing.
As he took off, the words became clearer, their melodious sound more wonderful than any Elvish song he had heard.
`Lo how a rose e're blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung,
From earth's rich soil coming,
As those of old have sung'
`It came a flower bright'
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night'
Legolas peered into the glade before him, the breath leaving him the moment he caught sight of the one who sung such beautiful words.
It seemed as though he had taken a step back in time. He believed it a dream, it seemed so real. He could not believe what he saw. `My eyes must be deceiving me' he thought vaguely, as his gaze landed gracefully of the creature before him.
It was Bren.
Legolas could feel the tears that had unconsciously started falling, warm and wet against his cold cheeks. She looked the same as when he'd seen her in Rivendell. The same red dress clung to her smoothly, her fiery red hair was placed in braids upon her head held firm by the diamond flower, her skin seemed to glow on it's own like he remembered, and her eyes, the same eyes that held so much love, shone as they never had before.
She was looking at him too, smiling warmly, like an angel, sitting tall and regal as a queen would atop a green mound. She was holding a single white rose in her perfect hand, held close to her beautiful lips.
Blinded by his tears of joy, Legolas somehow stumbled to her, falling to his knees and clutching her dress, crying uncontrollably into the soft fabric. Her warmth comforted him, melted his frozen heart. The ache faded from his heart instantly, replaced by such a joy he had never felt before.
He felt her soft hand brush his hair gently, her angelic voice cutting through the silence.
"Legolas, do not cry." She whispered. "Do not cry, for you have no need to."
Legolas sighed, lifting his head to gaze upon her face. He could not believe she was here. It was impossible....
"I am not here. I never have been." Bren continued, reading his thoughts.
"Than-Than how.....?"
"I am in the West." She answered his question even before he asked it.
"But how?" Legolas murmured, almost pleading. "You died. I killed you myself...."
Bren silenced him with her finger, her eyes telling him to be silent. "When an immortal gives themselves to the one they love, fully, in every way, a part of them in given to the other. That is how it is with us Legolas. You gave part of yourself to me, so I can never die. I am immortal now."
Legolas was awed. He could find no words to say. She heard his thoughts though, and replied to the question he didn't want to ask.
"As for the ring.....it was indeed destroyed, because my mortal body was killed. Because I was created by Sauron, the immortality you gave me could not manifest itself within me. Once I died, my spirit wandered, until somehow, it found Galadriel and she created another. The woman before you is immortal, the one you knew was not. Now I am in the West, and I await you patiently."
With her final words, she began to fade.
Legolas cried out, desperately trying to hold her.
"Namaarie Legolas." She whispered, "Cormamin niuve tenna ta' elea lle au'"
Farwell, my heart shall weep until it sees thee again.
Legolas watched her go, until he could no longer see her. Once again the forest was silent.
"I shall go to the West." He said loudly, "I shall come to you my Lael, and hold you in my arms once again."
And so, Legolas left the forest of Rivendell with Gimli and sailed to the West, with the bodies of King Elessar, Merry and Pippin in their boats.
Never to return.