RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
39.
Elenath could not erase the mental picture of Legolas' lifeless blue eyes or the feel of his body as dead weight in her arms. As she lay in bed next to him, she drifted off to sleep over and over again, only to wake with a start, grasping for the warmth of her husband's hand or the security of his embrace. Each time she woke, she found him awake also, watching her, running his fingers through her hair, tracing the contours of her body with his fingertips, whispering endearments to her, his eyes glowing with love.
When she jolted awake for the fifth time, he gently wiped her fresh tears away and pulled her close, inviting her to rest her head on his chest. "Mani marte, Melamin (What happened, My Love)? What did you dream that frightens you so?"
"I dreamed that I went looking for you and Thorondil, and that I found you both dead, lying on the forest floor. Every time I close my eyes now I see you that way… and when I go to sleep it becomes so real." She shook her head. "I feel like a child. It was only a dream, and yet…"
He hugged her close. "I assure you that I am alive, though that almost was not so. I tell you now; I will never take another day of my life for granted. And I will treasure each and every moment that I have with you, Amaelamin (My Beloved). Now rest. I will be right here sleeping next to you."
"I will try," she sighed, closing her eyes as Legolas began to sing to her.
"You are my hiding place
And my strong tower
Protect me from darkness
Save me in your power…"
Elenath lifted her head and gazed at him. "I used to sing that when I was afraid, on the other side of the Gate. How do you know it?"
He kissed her forehead. "I told you, Melamin. Thorondil and I could hear your prayers and the songs that you sang for us… And you sang this one many times."
"You're right," she murmured. "I guess I did."
"Deliver me from my foes," he continued to sing,
That I might exalt your name
Lord God, I will take refuge in you
And your Son who overcame."
"I will praise you O Lord
With all of my heart.
I will tell of your great wonders.
The angels rejoice
In your name, O Lord God,
Their voices as loud as thunder.
And I will join
In their songs of praise
As you drive my foes asunder!"
She finally relaxed as he sang; amazed that he had heard their songs and prayers in the darkness of the previous night. How is it possible? She prayed silently, How could he have heard us from such a great distance?
The answer came immediately to her heart. "The prayers of My children reach the ears of any or My warriors who wish to hear. And Legolas wished many times throughout the night to hear your voice."
Pondering this, she sighed and closed her eyes, finally drifting into a peaceful sleep.
***
They slept for many hours, finally rising just before dinner was to be served in the Great Hall. A special Council had been called directly following that, to discuss what Legolas and Thorondil had discovered on their trek.
Elenath and Legolas were dressing for dinner when Marcus knocked timidly on their door. The princess almost did not recognize him, as the Elves had given him clean clothing to wear, and none of it was black. He wore green leggings, a light-colored linen tunic with a brown leather belt and Elven boots. His black dreads were pulled back into a loose ponytail, revealing his bright green eyes with an intensity the princess had never seen before. She nodded to him with a smile. "Lle maa quell."
"Huh?"
"You look good," she said. "I like the clothes."
Marcus looked down at himself and shook his head. "I feel like… well… if I was back home, I'd feel pretty stupid, El."
"But you're not back home."
He grinned. "Don't tell the others, but I kinda like them."
Elenath placed Legolas' crown gently on the prince's head. "What can I do for you, Marcus?"
"Actually," he said, "I…"
Legolas looked up at the young Man curiously as Marcus approached him.
"Actually, Prince Legolas… Your Highness or whatever… I came to warn you about the dragon."
"Dragon?" he asked, placing Elenath's crown on her head.
"Yeah," said Marcus. "The orcs have a dragon. I thought you should know."
"I already knew," whispered the prince. "That is one of the reasons that Thorondil and I were delayed. But you mustn't tell anyone else just yet. We hold council tonight on this very topic."
"Beware the dragon," said Marcus. "It must be slain or Mirkwood will fall."
Legolas nodded. "Perhaps you should join us for council."
"Sure," said Marcus. "Whatever you need."
With that he turned and left the room.
"How did he know that?" asked the Prince. "I have told no one and Thorondil is one of my most trusted advisors. He would not have told any but the king."
She looked at him with fear in her eyes. "Legolas, Marcus just knows things sometimes. It is a gift from God. Did he say that the orcs have a dragon?"
"Yes," he replied with a sigh. "A dragon has allied itself with them, for it seeks the riches of Mirkwood. This battle will be much more difficult than we expected."
"But surely there is hope?"
"There is always hope," replied Legolas, "Even in darkest despair."
"What do you mean?"
"Elenath, I am loath to tell you this, but the orcs had your mother, Llilwen. They must have captured her as she rode to Rivendell. We tried to rescue her but it was a trap. I still cannot tell you how we escaped. Your God must have answered your prayers. One moment the hideous beasts were all around us and the next we were riding swiftly for home."
"But what of my mother?" she asked. "Was she well?"
Legolas shook his head; rare tears beginning to form in his eyes. "She was badly injured, Melamin. We managed to bring her home alive, but she is not herself and perhaps will never be again. Llilwen neither speaks nor weeps but rather sits staring as one with no reason to live. Who knows what horrors she experienced at the hands of our enemies?" The princess looked at him with such pain in her eyes that he practically crumpled to the floor on his knees. "I am sorry. I… I swear I did everything that I could do. I would have given my life to allow Thorondil to bring her back to you as she was before..."
"Before I returned to Mirkwood," she sighed. "How many lives will my presence ruin in this place?"
"Do not say such things," replied her husband. "You spent most of your previous life protecting the lives of those around you as the bearer of Calmakil. You have sacrificed and given to the point of death, Elenath, and now we are honored do the same for you. We are your family, as you said to your young friends yesterday, and we love you. Never, ever think that you are not welcome here."
"If things continue as they have," she cried, "Then I will have no family left when this is over."
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
39.
Elenath could not erase the mental picture of Legolas' lifeless blue eyes or the feel of his body as dead weight in her arms. As she lay in bed next to him, she drifted off to sleep over and over again, only to wake with a start, grasping for the warmth of her husband's hand or the security of his embrace. Each time she woke, she found him awake also, watching her, running his fingers through her hair, tracing the contours of her body with his fingertips, whispering endearments to her, his eyes glowing with love.
When she jolted awake for the fifth time, he gently wiped her fresh tears away and pulled her close, inviting her to rest her head on his chest. "Mani marte, Melamin (What happened, My Love)? What did you dream that frightens you so?"
"I dreamed that I went looking for you and Thorondil, and that I found you both dead, lying on the forest floor. Every time I close my eyes now I see you that way… and when I go to sleep it becomes so real." She shook her head. "I feel like a child. It was only a dream, and yet…"
He hugged her close. "I assure you that I am alive, though that almost was not so. I tell you now; I will never take another day of my life for granted. And I will treasure each and every moment that I have with you, Amaelamin (My Beloved). Now rest. I will be right here sleeping next to you."
"I will try," she sighed, closing her eyes as Legolas began to sing to her.
"You are my hiding place
And my strong tower
Protect me from darkness
Save me in your power…"
Elenath lifted her head and gazed at him. "I used to sing that when I was afraid, on the other side of the Gate. How do you know it?"
He kissed her forehead. "I told you, Melamin. Thorondil and I could hear your prayers and the songs that you sang for us… And you sang this one many times."
"You're right," she murmured. "I guess I did."
"Deliver me from my foes," he continued to sing,
That I might exalt your name
Lord God, I will take refuge in you
And your Son who overcame."
"I will praise you O Lord
With all of my heart.
I will tell of your great wonders.
The angels rejoice
In your name, O Lord God,
Their voices as loud as thunder.
And I will join
In their songs of praise
As you drive my foes asunder!"
She finally relaxed as he sang; amazed that he had heard their songs and prayers in the darkness of the previous night. How is it possible? She prayed silently, How could he have heard us from such a great distance?
The answer came immediately to her heart. "The prayers of My children reach the ears of any or My warriors who wish to hear. And Legolas wished many times throughout the night to hear your voice."
Pondering this, she sighed and closed her eyes, finally drifting into a peaceful sleep.
***
They slept for many hours, finally rising just before dinner was to be served in the Great Hall. A special Council had been called directly following that, to discuss what Legolas and Thorondil had discovered on their trek.
Elenath and Legolas were dressing for dinner when Marcus knocked timidly on their door. The princess almost did not recognize him, as the Elves had given him clean clothing to wear, and none of it was black. He wore green leggings, a light-colored linen tunic with a brown leather belt and Elven boots. His black dreads were pulled back into a loose ponytail, revealing his bright green eyes with an intensity the princess had never seen before. She nodded to him with a smile. "Lle maa quell."
"Huh?"
"You look good," she said. "I like the clothes."
Marcus looked down at himself and shook his head. "I feel like… well… if I was back home, I'd feel pretty stupid, El."
"But you're not back home."
He grinned. "Don't tell the others, but I kinda like them."
Elenath placed Legolas' crown gently on the prince's head. "What can I do for you, Marcus?"
"Actually," he said, "I…"
Legolas looked up at the young Man curiously as Marcus approached him.
"Actually, Prince Legolas… Your Highness or whatever… I came to warn you about the dragon."
"Dragon?" he asked, placing Elenath's crown on her head.
"Yeah," said Marcus. "The orcs have a dragon. I thought you should know."
"I already knew," whispered the prince. "That is one of the reasons that Thorondil and I were delayed. But you mustn't tell anyone else just yet. We hold council tonight on this very topic."
"Beware the dragon," said Marcus. "It must be slain or Mirkwood will fall."
Legolas nodded. "Perhaps you should join us for council."
"Sure," said Marcus. "Whatever you need."
With that he turned and left the room.
"How did he know that?" asked the Prince. "I have told no one and Thorondil is one of my most trusted advisors. He would not have told any but the king."
She looked at him with fear in her eyes. "Legolas, Marcus just knows things sometimes. It is a gift from God. Did he say that the orcs have a dragon?"
"Yes," he replied with a sigh. "A dragon has allied itself with them, for it seeks the riches of Mirkwood. This battle will be much more difficult than we expected."
"But surely there is hope?"
"There is always hope," replied Legolas, "Even in darkest despair."
"What do you mean?"
"Elenath, I am loath to tell you this, but the orcs had your mother, Llilwen. They must have captured her as she rode to Rivendell. We tried to rescue her but it was a trap. I still cannot tell you how we escaped. Your God must have answered your prayers. One moment the hideous beasts were all around us and the next we were riding swiftly for home."
"But what of my mother?" she asked. "Was she well?"
Legolas shook his head; rare tears beginning to form in his eyes. "She was badly injured, Melamin. We managed to bring her home alive, but she is not herself and perhaps will never be again. Llilwen neither speaks nor weeps but rather sits staring as one with no reason to live. Who knows what horrors she experienced at the hands of our enemies?" The princess looked at him with such pain in her eyes that he practically crumpled to the floor on his knees. "I am sorry. I… I swear I did everything that I could do. I would have given my life to allow Thorondil to bring her back to you as she was before..."
"Before I returned to Mirkwood," she sighed. "How many lives will my presence ruin in this place?"
"Do not say such things," replied her husband. "You spent most of your previous life protecting the lives of those around you as the bearer of Calmakil. You have sacrificed and given to the point of death, Elenath, and now we are honored do the same for you. We are your family, as you said to your young friends yesterday, and we love you. Never, ever think that you are not welcome here."
"If things continue as they have," she cried, "Then I will have no family left when this is over."