If by now you do not know who I thank and what I own, you haven't been paying much attention, now have you?
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The forest dissolved around Aragorn as he woke up. Orome's voice cut through his mind again.
"One last thing, do not ignore your feelings and thoughts!"
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Once again, Aragorn found himself staring up at the starry canopy above Legolas' bed. Frowning, he looked at Legolas' diary, running his hand over the worn pages and tracing the elvish script. What could he do to finish his quests?
Just put the information together and read between the lines
Rising, Aragorn walked over to the desk, and fished around for a pencil and blank sheet of paper. After finding them, he sat on the bed to make a list to help him sort what he knew about Legolas from the diary and his death.
Suffered for a long time
Knew of imminent death, but didn't tell others
Found me fair
Curious
Scared of the dark of caves
Wished to hide weakness
Suffered silently
Wondered about kiss of Ranger
Pain in heart
Longed for spring in Lothlorien
Wished to travel with me in Lothlorien
Much pain
Missed me, even though I was married - why would that make any difference?
Talked about heartache stopping if melethron, beloved, was seen again - right after reference to me
Aragorn idly tapped the pencil against his chin as he reviewed his list. After ten minutes of staring and tapping, he threw the pencil across the room. That did nothing to help him make sense of his list however, and now he didn't even have a pencil to jot notes down to himself. Picking himself up, he went back to Legolas' desk for another pencil.
One last thing, do not ignore your feelings and thoughts!
Aragorn stopped his searching for a pencil as he remembered Orome's parting words.
"My feelings and thoughts? Well, my feelings are easy enough, my love for Legolas has surfaced again, my thoughts, well, he seems attracted to me, and his heartache reminds me of an old text I once read, that elves dying of grief often are victims of much heartache and inner pain as they waste away...grief. Grief! That's what Legolas died from! GRIEF!"
Aragorn's relieved laughter echoed through the trees, one of his quests was finally over! He ran back to his list, reading it over quickly.
"It all makes sense! Silent suffering, pain, heartache, knowledge of his death, his paleness and thinness, his reluctance to eat, his obsession with one person, with me! With me...no...not me...this can't be my fault..."
Aragorn sank to the floor, still clutching the list. Orome had said it was his fault, but he had never truly believed it, not until now at least.
Legolas, beautiful, cheerful, energetic Legolas had suffered and died because he had loved Aragorn. Aragorn, who returned the feelings but never let them show. Legolas, perfect Legolas, was dead now, and it was all his fault.
A sob fought to free itself from Aragorn's throat, but he stifled it. He would not cry.
'Legolas, I'm so sorry. If only I had said, just once, that I had loved you, you would not have suffered, would not have died. Oh Legolas, I am sorry, truly, I am.'
Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over, Aragorn took a moment to regain his composure before he called for Orome. At the sound of his name, the god dropped gracefully from a nearby tree, standing before Aragorn.
"You called?"
Aragorn nodded, before standing up.
"I now know why Legolas died, and how I could have prevented it."
"Enlighten me."
"He died from grief, from a broken heart. If I had only told him that I did care for him, that I did love him, his suffering and death would have never occured."
"You believe that?"
Aragorn was about to reply with a yes, when he stopped. Was he wrong? Did Legolas die of some other cause, or from love of someone else?
One last thing, do not ignore your feelings and thoughts!
Do not ignore. Aragorn looked into Orome's eyes, his strong and determined ones locking with the god's own calm and confident ones.
"Yes. That is what I believe."
With a smile, Orome responded.
"Good. You're right. Legolas did die because he loved you. Are you ready for your next quest?"