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Everlasting Road ch, #13
Gimli was just finishing packing when the door was thrown open. Gimli turned in surprise and anger at the rudeness of the entrance, but he stilled at what he saw. Liria stood in the doorway, and her eyes glowed red. She was obviously not in the best of dispositions.
"And what do you desire that you must come so quickly when you are uncalled for?" was all Gimli asked her.
Liria stepped inside, closing the door without taking her eyes off of Gimli. "What did you do to Legolas?" she demanded, her anger barely held in check.
"What are you talking about?" Gimli's indignation rose, "if there is anybody who has been guilty of any crime, I would be forced to say that it was you, my lady."
Liria snorted, "And what is that supposed to mean? It was not I who created despair in Legolas. I do not strive to harm the ones I love, and I would have thought that you acted in similar fashion. Clearly, I was mistaken. I am glad you corrected my error, dwarf." There was a note of contempt in her voice when she said 'dwarf' and Gimli raised himself haughtily, his anger striving to match hers.
"I apologize for causing Legolas grief, for we all know that it is not his fault. But the truth had to be known, and since he was blinded to it, I felt it was an obligation to make it known. I did not desire to cause him any grief by it." Gimli emphasized the 'him', hinting to Liria that there was someone else he would rather have suffer. And Liria could only imagine who.
"And what exactly is Lord Legolas supposed to be blind to? Pray, tell me kind dwarf, for you seem to be adamant in shedding light where there is darkness." Liria's voice dripped with sarcasm, but Gimli paid no heed and let loose his words in a torrent.
"Legolas has been blinded since the day you entered our lives. You could not leave well enough alone, could you? You have caused a wedge between my best friend and I, and that is an action that I cannot find heart to forgive. We have been through Hell on this earth, and your wish is to throw all that away. If the grief was caused by anybody, it was you, for it was your presence that started all conflict."
Liria actually stepped backward, looking like she had been slapped. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but then blazed again with new fury. "You blame your jealousy upon me?" she asked in a rage, "Where you should be happy for your self-called best friend, you bring only spite and petty jealousy. Now you wish to hurt him to get back at him for causing you emotions created by yourself. A plague on the bitter hearts of the dwarves!"
"And a plague on the selfish hearts of she-elfs!" Gimli promptly answered, his voice raising, and his hand itching towards the handle of his axe. "You would tie Legolas down to your will even when he has desires for adventure left in him."
"I will never hold him to anything against his will," Liria informed the dwarf, "where he wishes to go, he will go. And I will follow. I will not abandon him in grief like a 'friend'. Nor will I hold him personally accountable for the company he keeps, though the gods know I have reason enough to."
Gimli's face turned red at this and he himself felt that his eyes flamed color to match hers. In frustration, Gimli hefted his axe and let out a loud cry. He then brought it down with a crash into the pine floor in front of Liria's feet. The blow was so hard wood chunks flew up, but Liria did not move, did not even flinch. She only planted her small foot firmly upon the handle of the axe, and in a move to swift for Gimli to follow, she reached down and grabbed the end of the handle, then snapped it off. She stood and tossed the splintered handle over her shoulder.
Gimli could not believe what she had just done. He started forward and lifted the remainder of his axe out of the floor. He gazed at it, then glared at Liria, "Be forever happy that you are a maid and I am a gentleman, else your neck would have gone the same way."
Liria only laughed, causing Gimli to grow even more frustrated. Just as he was about to say something else, the door swung open. Liria whirled and she and Gimli both stared at the door that had interrupted their "conversation". Legolas stood in the doorway, confusion masking his fine features. He had heard a commotion from outside and had come to investigate. He was surprised to find Liria and Gimli in the same room together. Quickly, his eyes took in the state of Gimli's axe, and the shards of it on the floor next to Liria. He could only guess at what had happened, and sighed.
"What are you two doing?" he asked quietly, though he did not really want to know. This argument between the two most dear to him would only cause the gaping hole inside of him to rip him apart.
"We are only discussing some trifle matters," Liria informed him. Legolas looked at her, and noted the red in her eyes that was starting to fade, but was still awfully strong. Legolas then looked at Gimli, who would not even raise his eyes from the floor to meet his gaze. He was breathing heavily, and looked like he wanted to run outside and chop down every tree in Mirkwood.
Gimli finally looked up, "We have decided that I am to leave immediately after tonight's feast. I will stay long enough to cheer your name, then I will go back to my own home."
Legolas had nothing to say. He knew they were both lying, that was clear enough, but what was the use in calling them on it? Legolas only turned and started to walk out of the door, his shoulders bent as with a heavy burden. Liria started after him, but he only shook his head. He looked her in the eye, and she understood. He wished to be alone. Legolas left, leaving Liria frustrated and Gimli mad and grieved at the same time.
Liria looked at Gimli. "If you are a cause of a separation between Legolas and I, you will sorely regret it." And with that she walked out of the dwarf's room, leaving him to stew over her and grieve over Legolas.
Everlasting Road ch, #13
Gimli was just finishing packing when the door was thrown open. Gimli turned in surprise and anger at the rudeness of the entrance, but he stilled at what he saw. Liria stood in the doorway, and her eyes glowed red. She was obviously not in the best of dispositions.
"And what do you desire that you must come so quickly when you are uncalled for?" was all Gimli asked her.
Liria stepped inside, closing the door without taking her eyes off of Gimli. "What did you do to Legolas?" she demanded, her anger barely held in check.
"What are you talking about?" Gimli's indignation rose, "if there is anybody who has been guilty of any crime, I would be forced to say that it was you, my lady."
Liria snorted, "And what is that supposed to mean? It was not I who created despair in Legolas. I do not strive to harm the ones I love, and I would have thought that you acted in similar fashion. Clearly, I was mistaken. I am glad you corrected my error, dwarf." There was a note of contempt in her voice when she said 'dwarf' and Gimli raised himself haughtily, his anger striving to match hers.
"I apologize for causing Legolas grief, for we all know that it is not his fault. But the truth had to be known, and since he was blinded to it, I felt it was an obligation to make it known. I did not desire to cause him any grief by it." Gimli emphasized the 'him', hinting to Liria that there was someone else he would rather have suffer. And Liria could only imagine who.
"And what exactly is Lord Legolas supposed to be blind to? Pray, tell me kind dwarf, for you seem to be adamant in shedding light where there is darkness." Liria's voice dripped with sarcasm, but Gimli paid no heed and let loose his words in a torrent.
"Legolas has been blinded since the day you entered our lives. You could not leave well enough alone, could you? You have caused a wedge between my best friend and I, and that is an action that I cannot find heart to forgive. We have been through Hell on this earth, and your wish is to throw all that away. If the grief was caused by anybody, it was you, for it was your presence that started all conflict."
Liria actually stepped backward, looking like she had been slapped. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but then blazed again with new fury. "You blame your jealousy upon me?" she asked in a rage, "Where you should be happy for your self-called best friend, you bring only spite and petty jealousy. Now you wish to hurt him to get back at him for causing you emotions created by yourself. A plague on the bitter hearts of the dwarves!"
"And a plague on the selfish hearts of she-elfs!" Gimli promptly answered, his voice raising, and his hand itching towards the handle of his axe. "You would tie Legolas down to your will even when he has desires for adventure left in him."
"I will never hold him to anything against his will," Liria informed the dwarf, "where he wishes to go, he will go. And I will follow. I will not abandon him in grief like a 'friend'. Nor will I hold him personally accountable for the company he keeps, though the gods know I have reason enough to."
Gimli's face turned red at this and he himself felt that his eyes flamed color to match hers. In frustration, Gimli hefted his axe and let out a loud cry. He then brought it down with a crash into the pine floor in front of Liria's feet. The blow was so hard wood chunks flew up, but Liria did not move, did not even flinch. She only planted her small foot firmly upon the handle of the axe, and in a move to swift for Gimli to follow, she reached down and grabbed the end of the handle, then snapped it off. She stood and tossed the splintered handle over her shoulder.
Gimli could not believe what she had just done. He started forward and lifted the remainder of his axe out of the floor. He gazed at it, then glared at Liria, "Be forever happy that you are a maid and I am a gentleman, else your neck would have gone the same way."
Liria only laughed, causing Gimli to grow even more frustrated. Just as he was about to say something else, the door swung open. Liria whirled and she and Gimli both stared at the door that had interrupted their "conversation". Legolas stood in the doorway, confusion masking his fine features. He had heard a commotion from outside and had come to investigate. He was surprised to find Liria and Gimli in the same room together. Quickly, his eyes took in the state of Gimli's axe, and the shards of it on the floor next to Liria. He could only guess at what had happened, and sighed.
"What are you two doing?" he asked quietly, though he did not really want to know. This argument between the two most dear to him would only cause the gaping hole inside of him to rip him apart.
"We are only discussing some trifle matters," Liria informed him. Legolas looked at her, and noted the red in her eyes that was starting to fade, but was still awfully strong. Legolas then looked at Gimli, who would not even raise his eyes from the floor to meet his gaze. He was breathing heavily, and looked like he wanted to run outside and chop down every tree in Mirkwood.
Gimli finally looked up, "We have decided that I am to leave immediately after tonight's feast. I will stay long enough to cheer your name, then I will go back to my own home."
Legolas had nothing to say. He knew they were both lying, that was clear enough, but what was the use in calling them on it? Legolas only turned and started to walk out of the door, his shoulders bent as with a heavy burden. Liria started after him, but he only shook his head. He looked her in the eye, and she understood. He wished to be alone. Legolas left, leaving Liria frustrated and Gimli mad and grieved at the same time.
Liria looked at Gimli. "If you are a cause of a separation between Legolas and I, you will sorely regret it." And with that she walked out of the dwarf's room, leaving him to stew over her and grieve over Legolas.