Through Elven Eyes
by SkyFire
For disclaimer, see part 1.
A/N: 1)Takes place directly after the last part, maybe five to ten minutes have gone by. *g*
2)Okay, I've fixed up this chapter. Hopefully it no longer looks like an outtake from "Revenge of
the Typos." *g*
Please review! *g*
*****
Through Elven Eyes
by SkyFire
Part 3
"Done," Legolas said simply as he tied off the end of the last of the braids.
Gimli grunted in acknowledgement, still embarrassed at having needed the help at all. The mere
thought of needing the aid of an Elf for *anything* did not sit well with his dwarven pride.
Legolas seemed to hear the former dwarf's unspoken thoughts, as he said no more on the matter.
Instead, he put down the brush and moved to stand by the entrance of the pavilion. He looked to
his red-haired companion. "The others are at breakfast," he said at last. "Shall we join them?"
"Aye," came the gruff reply.
Gimli walked to Legolas and together they left the shelter.
The changed dwarf looked around with his new eyes, was astonished. He had never known that a
bunch of trees could possibly have so much in them to catch the eyes. He could see so much, it
was nearly overwhelming. He saw horizons through the miles of trees, further away than ever he
would have believed, saw everything in more detail than he ever would have thought possible, saw
colors he never before knew existed! And beauty everywhere, in everything, shining through from
even the plainest, most humble of things.
Unprepared for such a dramatic change to his visual perception, not to mention the new sounds
bombarding him through his new, acute hearing, he clutched convulsively at Legolas, near-reeling
with the sensory overload.
"Gimli?" he heard the Elf query. "Are you well?"
Tones upon tones in the Elf's voice, like an echo of song and light and tales told, untold and
yet to come.
"There's so much..." came the hushed reply. Strange to hear some of the same tones in his own
voice. He looked to the other, squinched his eyes shut, looked again, near-overwhelmed by myriad
small details. "I see... I hear...."
"Ah," Legolas said in sudden understanding. He had known, of course, that other beings' senses
were not as acute as those of Elves, but given the reaction... perhaps there was even more of a
gap between them than ever he had thought? Curious, he asked, "is there truly so much difference?
Surely you exaggerate somewhat due to the shock of waking up as other than you were."
Gimli shook his head in negation. "No," he said. "So much more. Like seeing in daylight for
the first time after living all your life inside an empty, lightless box." His eyes darted here
and there, trying to take everything in.
Then he made the mistake of looking down.
He yelped in alarm, face going bloodlessly pale in the split second before he threw himself flat
on the grassy ground and hung on tightly, as if the very earth beneath him would throw him off if
he didn't. His eyes were squinched tightly shut.
The blond Mirkwood Elf stared down at his prone companion in concern, saw sudden sweat sheening
the pale face. "Gimli?" he asked as he crouched down beside the other. "Gimli, what is wrong?
What ails you?"
Gimli cracked an eye open, stared up at Legolas. He licked pale lips. "I looked down," he
replied weakly.
The blond's smooth brow furrowed as he frowned. "Down? At the grass? What does that have to do
with this? I do not understand."
"It was not the grass," Gimli corrected. A faint blush colored the pale cheeks pink. "Even as a
dwarf, I had this... thing... about heights. And when I looked down...."
"Vertigo," Legolas said in realization. He looked in astonishment to the former dwarf. "But...
you did not show this before, on the ledges of Caradhras, nor on the narrow bridges over the dark
chasms in Moria."
"Maybe you never saw it, but that does not mean it did not happen," Gimli admitted. "I do have
my pride, after all. Even so, I left a great many lunches behind."
Legolas smiled faintly, offered one slender hand to the other. "Up," he asid. "Let us go find a
healer, then, with herbs to calm your stomach. The others can wait a while longer."
Hesitantly, Gimli released the grass, clasped the proffered hand, let Legolas pull him to his
feet. "Let us away to the healer," he said. He frowned. "Legolas, you must promise not to tell
the others of my vertigo."
Mirkwood's prince nodded in agreement. "I will not tell them," he promised.
Together, they walked out into Lothlorien's capital on their way to find a healer for Gimli.
TBC...
*g* So, what did you think? Poor Gimli, afflicted with vertigo from his own height! *g* Talk to
my plotbunnies! They are happy that people have been feeding them, don't slack off now! *g* Feed
them at least 10 times and they'll dream up another chapter! *g* If the review button down there
doesn't work, as it is acting strange lately, you can send me email at rabid_plotbunny@yahoo.ca
by SkyFire
For disclaimer, see part 1.
A/N: 1)Takes place directly after the last part, maybe five to ten minutes have gone by. *g*
2)Okay, I've fixed up this chapter. Hopefully it no longer looks like an outtake from "Revenge of
the Typos." *g*
Please review! *g*
*****
Through Elven Eyes
by SkyFire
Part 3
"Done," Legolas said simply as he tied off the end of the last of the braids.
Gimli grunted in acknowledgement, still embarrassed at having needed the help at all. The mere
thought of needing the aid of an Elf for *anything* did not sit well with his dwarven pride.
Legolas seemed to hear the former dwarf's unspoken thoughts, as he said no more on the matter.
Instead, he put down the brush and moved to stand by the entrance of the pavilion. He looked to
his red-haired companion. "The others are at breakfast," he said at last. "Shall we join them?"
"Aye," came the gruff reply.
Gimli walked to Legolas and together they left the shelter.
The changed dwarf looked around with his new eyes, was astonished. He had never known that a
bunch of trees could possibly have so much in them to catch the eyes. He could see so much, it
was nearly overwhelming. He saw horizons through the miles of trees, further away than ever he
would have believed, saw everything in more detail than he ever would have thought possible, saw
colors he never before knew existed! And beauty everywhere, in everything, shining through from
even the plainest, most humble of things.
Unprepared for such a dramatic change to his visual perception, not to mention the new sounds
bombarding him through his new, acute hearing, he clutched convulsively at Legolas, near-reeling
with the sensory overload.
"Gimli?" he heard the Elf query. "Are you well?"
Tones upon tones in the Elf's voice, like an echo of song and light and tales told, untold and
yet to come.
"There's so much..." came the hushed reply. Strange to hear some of the same tones in his own
voice. He looked to the other, squinched his eyes shut, looked again, near-overwhelmed by myriad
small details. "I see... I hear...."
"Ah," Legolas said in sudden understanding. He had known, of course, that other beings' senses
were not as acute as those of Elves, but given the reaction... perhaps there was even more of a
gap between them than ever he had thought? Curious, he asked, "is there truly so much difference?
Surely you exaggerate somewhat due to the shock of waking up as other than you were."
Gimli shook his head in negation. "No," he said. "So much more. Like seeing in daylight for
the first time after living all your life inside an empty, lightless box." His eyes darted here
and there, trying to take everything in.
Then he made the mistake of looking down.
He yelped in alarm, face going bloodlessly pale in the split second before he threw himself flat
on the grassy ground and hung on tightly, as if the very earth beneath him would throw him off if
he didn't. His eyes were squinched tightly shut.
The blond Mirkwood Elf stared down at his prone companion in concern, saw sudden sweat sheening
the pale face. "Gimli?" he asked as he crouched down beside the other. "Gimli, what is wrong?
What ails you?"
Gimli cracked an eye open, stared up at Legolas. He licked pale lips. "I looked down," he
replied weakly.
The blond's smooth brow furrowed as he frowned. "Down? At the grass? What does that have to do
with this? I do not understand."
"It was not the grass," Gimli corrected. A faint blush colored the pale cheeks pink. "Even as a
dwarf, I had this... thing... about heights. And when I looked down...."
"Vertigo," Legolas said in realization. He looked in astonishment to the former dwarf. "But...
you did not show this before, on the ledges of Caradhras, nor on the narrow bridges over the dark
chasms in Moria."
"Maybe you never saw it, but that does not mean it did not happen," Gimli admitted. "I do have
my pride, after all. Even so, I left a great many lunches behind."
Legolas smiled faintly, offered one slender hand to the other. "Up," he asid. "Let us go find a
healer, then, with herbs to calm your stomach. The others can wait a while longer."
Hesitantly, Gimli released the grass, clasped the proffered hand, let Legolas pull him to his
feet. "Let us away to the healer," he said. He frowned. "Legolas, you must promise not to tell
the others of my vertigo."
Mirkwood's prince nodded in agreement. "I will not tell them," he promised.
Together, they walked out into Lothlorien's capital on their way to find a healer for Gimli.
TBC...
*g* So, what did you think? Poor Gimli, afflicted with vertigo from his own height! *g* Talk to
my plotbunnies! They are happy that people have been feeding them, don't slack off now! *g* Feed
them at least 10 times and they'll dream up another chapter! *g* If the review button down there
doesn't work, as it is acting strange lately, you can send me email at rabid_plotbunny@yahoo.ca