Other: No, Luthien- Gollum is not going to fall in love with Legolas… That would be a little creepy, in my opinion… I like Gollum, and I like Legolas, but I do not like them together…
Disclaimers: See the Author's Notes! This is an AU! The R Rating is in effect! Elvish is in ''. Sorry for the delay- first ff.net went down, and then I got bronchitis… Takes place sometime after the last chapter… Elea i'dolen = Reveal; Wanya nurta i' fea' = Dispel incognito
Reasons To Fight, Reasons To Wed
Chapter 36. Breaking Bonds
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Inside of Mordor
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Meron flung Elena into a wall hard with his evil powers, glaring at her in undisguised fury. "Reveal your true form, brat! I have been far too lenient in letting you keep your disguise, but no longer! Do it now!"
Elena silently shook her head, refusing to give into the demand. She met his glare with a calm look, and did not flinch when he slapped her hard twice, leaving stinging red marks, and neither did Elena cry, reproaching him with her blue-grey eyes.
"Leave her alone," an unexpected voice said from the shadows. A familiar figure stepped out of the darkness, with pale, nearly white skin, long black hair, which hung behind him, matching his dark, ebony eyes. His leggings and shirt were both black, but his tunic was a silver color, while his belt was a dark grey. A sword rested at his side, and his arms were crossed, resting against his chest.
Both Meron and Elena turned to the figure, and Meron raised an eyebrow at the determined, weary expression across his younger brother's face.
"What does it matter to you, what I do to her?" he demanded, not liking the expression in Rissan's eyes.
Rissan said quietly, "She's only a child, Meron… Leave her be… Or is that your new pastime, beating a child?" The ebony-haired Elf was tired of this… So desperately weary of this madness…
Meron scowled. "You've done far worse than torturing someone for information, dear brother, or need I remind you of that? What you did to Haldir… It was far worse than anything I ever did, so don't act so innocent."
Elena wordlessly looked back and forth between Rissan and Meron, watching as Rissan flinched at what Meron said. An unreadable expression was in her eyes, as the conversation continued between the two brothers.
"I am aware of what I did to Haldir," Rissan stated flatly. "I am no innocent; that much is true, and neither are you… For all that we are old, and the old are supposed to be wise, we seem to be exceptions to that."
Meron snapped, "What are you saying, then? That we are fools for pursuing them?"
Rissan inclined his head, his stance still unthreatening and composed. "I gave up on Haldir a long time ago, Meron… Why have you not given up on Lasgalen or, as he is currently known, Legolas, yet? He will never look to you the way you want him to; you know that. You tried to separate them once, and it failed. What is meant to be cannot be broken…" His words were haggard and hoarse. "I'm tired of this, brother- do you mean to chase him for the rest of your life, knowing he will never be yours?"
The ebony-haired Elf was truly tired of this, and though he looked young, he was anything but. He'd relinquished his claim on Haldir long ago, when he left Lothlorien, and the long years since then had mellowed him somewhat, for he had spent them alone, forced to remember what he had done to the young, blond Elf by Lady Galadriel, and it still haunted him, even to this day, giving him a conscience he had never felt before. Once he had been like Meron, but things had changed, like the tides of the Sea… It called to him, beckoning him to sail West, but Rissan could not; it had been forbidden, because of what he had done. So here he would remain, until the day he died. The only reason he was here was to make certain that Meron didn't kill Haldir, because despite everything, what cruel, violent things he had done, Rissan still loved him, and because of another reason, a secret reason…
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Flashback
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Rissan stood out of sight, among the shadows of the trees, watching silently as he saw Haldir and Glorfindel walking together. A wistful expression, full of regret, was in the ebony-haired Elf's eyes, as he continued to watch and long for that which he could not have.
Glorfindel had his arm draped around Haldir's shoulders, as a very good friend or lover would, and his striking, blue eyes were full of concern and sorrow, as he watched the younger Elf beside him. Rissan was stunned when he saw the love that the older golden-haired Elf was hiding for Haldir, and he winced, drawing back into the shadows even further.
'Will you be all right, Haldir?' Glorfindel questioned, and even Rissan could hear the depth of caring within the elven lord's voice.
Haldir stopped walking, and seriously, almost solemnly, looked up at Glorfindel, a sad look in his eyes. 'I will be, thanks to you,' he said softly. 'Because you stood by me from the very beginning, even though the child might not have been yours, but you still cared so much about me…'
Rissan flinched slightly, but was unable to tear his eyes away from the two blond Elves, as they softly, gently kissed. But a sharp pain had entered his heart, a deep feeling of loss and regret. He did not show the pain physically, for Rissan never showed his pain, but it was present all the same.
Glorfindel and Haldir were unaware of the pain they were causing, as they drew back from each other and simply embraced, as lovers would, before they continued walking. Their hands automatically clasped each other's, oblivious to the one watching them, and they continued speaking quietly to each other.
When they had gone, Rissan could only look after them, knowing that Haldir would never again be his, and that he would be alone, for what he had done. So, shifting the pack on his back, and his hood and cloak covering most of his features, the dark-haired Elf had left Lothlorien a second time, venturing towards the Sea, his grief preventing him from realizing that.
By the time he did, it was too late; the Sea called to him, beckoning him to sail West, but it was forbidden, after his actions, so Rissan merely did as he had before, journeying to different places, seeking out new faces. Until Meron had summoned him once more, to aid him in his quest to claim the reborn Lasgalen for his own.
Rissan, of course, knew little of that story, he'd been young at that time and had been with their father, when Meron had caused all that trouble in Gondor, stirring two races against each other, and it had only ended in tragedy.
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"Then why are you here, if you gave up on him?" Meron icily questioned, drawing his brother's thoughts back to the present. He was surprised at how melancholy and weary that Rissan seemed. Meron had known that Rissan had not been himself for a while, but he had not expected Rissan to acquiesce to the fact that he would not have Haldir. This was a turn of events that was unexpected.
"Can anyone defy Father?" Rissan asked pointedly, lowering his gaze. "Surely there are better things we could be doing, than ruining the lives of others. You had him once, is that knowledge not enough for you? And in having him, you killed him. Do you wish to see it happen again? I don't."
Meron shook his head, angry that Rissan had brought that memory up. "How could I have known that it would kill him? And when did you become such pathetic, that you would care about others?"
"People change or they die, Meron. You will not change, no matter what happens, and I… I will long for the Sea, knowing that it is because of my actions that I cannot cross it. We chose our paths long ago, but that does not mean that circumstances cannot change…" Rissan's dark eyes met Meron's knowingly, and in that moment, Rissan seemed older than Meron, the weight and burden of his evil deeds haunting his eyes, as well as the calling of the Sea.
"You have grown weak," Meron said coldly, rolling his eyes. "You would turn your back on me because of some stupid calling? You have turned traitor, then, I see…" Angrily, he lashed out with his magic, sending Rissan flying backwards, and his brother landed on the floor hard. Anger warred with hurt, betrayal, and pain, and this was the only way Meron knew how to make himself feel better.
Rissan said nothing, swallowing hard, as he took a deep breath. He slowly sat up, his face and right elbow grazed from the hardness of the cold, rough granite floor, which was naturally formed in the mountains. He made no sound, as Meron approached him, with an intent to most likely either hurt him badly, until he changed his mind, or to kill him.
But before Meron could reach the fallen Elf, his only brother, Elena stepped in front of where Rissan sat, and shook her head.
"You will not hurt him," she stated, the words echoing in the room. "He has seen the error of his ways, and he will not be punished for that by you."
"Out of my way!" Meron bellowed, his rage crystallizing. "Reveal yourself now, in your true form, brat, or I will not only kill Elessar, but I will make certain that every prisoner here dies."
Elena sighed, knowing that she had no choice, and softly,
she began whispering in Elvish. 'Elea i'dolen… Wanya nurta i' fea'…' As she
spoke, a light began enveloping her, wrapping around the small Hobbit; a white
light, which signified a spell. But it was no ordinary spell that she revoked
as she spoke, having hidden the truth for as long as she
could. The spell had allowed her to
live unnoticed amongst the Hobbits and to gain the trust of those she needed.
She had not been idle, in the time she had spent with the Hobbits, for she had
been preparing for this. If Legolas' magic, and that of his father's, had not
been weakened by disuse and because the Elven Prince was pregnant, making his
magic unstable, they would have seen through her disguise as well.
The light from the magic shone brightly, pulsing, before it faded away, revealing a shocking sight.
Where the young Hobbit had been standing, a taller, graceful figure now stood. Long, light brown hair, which was naturally curly, framed her face, partially pulled back in braids, and gray eyes gazed knowingly at Meron. Her frame was slender, but her eyes held wisdom and knowledge, and her skin was naturally pale.
Her clothes had changed as well; now Elena wore a light blue shirt, and dark green leggings, which were easier to travel in. But what drew Meron's attention were her ears; they were an Elf's, pointed, with the familiar tip on each.
Meron walked over and around her, carefully inspecting the female Elf, hiding his startled amazement. "Why were you hiding this from your friends?" he finally asked, frowning at her.
Elena replied, in a strong, clear voice that was soft, yet powerful, "I had my reasons and they are my own. The only thing that matters is that you will be stopped. I have already sent a messenger to Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and he knows of how we were ambushed and taken prisoner, except for Prince Legolas and Haldir."
"You lying witch," Meron hissed, before slapping her hard. "How could you possibly have gotten a messenger to Lord Elrond?"
"The winged messenger of the Lord of the Eagles," she answered, referring to the white butterfly that occasionally carried messages to Gwaihir the Windlord.
Rissan finally managed to stand, and he looked directly at Meron, then to Elena, and, finally, back to his brother. "I would not have directly opposed you," he told Meron quietly, "had you not decided to try to kill me, and had she not stopped you before you could try to. I'm not your slave, nor your servant, to be beaten for speaking my mind, and since you will not listen to reason, then I must do what I will."
Elena smiled, as if she knew what Rissan had been going to say, and she looked at him. "Find Haldir and Prince Legolas, Rissan, while I free my friends," she said, taking command naturally, as if it were in her blood.
"I will," Rissan replied automatically, though he was surprised at the words when he realized he had said them. Before Meron could do anything, Rissan cast a teleportation spell and vanished before his eyes, a trace of magic left where he had been standing.
Meron and Elena eyed each other warily after Rissan disappeared, but showed no fear to the other, circling carefully. The female Elf knew that she could not be the one to kill Meron, for it would ruin the very reason she had come here…
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Somewhere in Mordor
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Gollum had returned, bringing a few dried fish and herbs for Legolas, his sharp nails clicking against the ground, and drawing Haldir's attention.
Haldir had awoken Legolas, who was now eating, but still looking tired. Determination was still in his eyes, however, so Haldir knew there would be no chance of convincing him to rest longer.
Legolas was upset because Haldir insisted that he eat first, and he felt guilty as well, but he knew that the 'Lorien Elf was right. His unborn children craved nourishment, and being in his cave was not helping his pregnancy at all. It was too far from the trees and other things that Legolas was used to.
'We'll be in these tunnels for days,' Haldir reminded Legolas, seeing that his friend was less than thrilled about being in the caves. 'It's the only way to save our friends and the ones that we love.'
Legolas sighed, 'I know that, Haldir, but the longer I'm away from Aragorn, the more I fear I will never see him again. I love him so much…'
Haldir placed an arm around Legolas. 'You will see him again, Legolas… I, too, am afraid of not seeing Glorfindel again, but hope is there as well. As long as Glorfindel is alive, he will never let anything happen to Aragorn. You know that, Legolas, so we have to keep believing in them… Without hope, there's nothing left to believe in anymore.'
'You're right,' Legolas said, gratefully smiling at Haldir. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be weak…'
Haldir murmured, 'To show fear is not to be weak, Legolas- rather, it is courage, to reveal that you are afraid to another.' He returned the smile, and clapped his friend on the back gently.
Gollum silently watched the Elves, not understand the Elvish, but he could see that they were happier now than they had been a few moments ago.
But all three were startled when a figure appeared before them magically, standing up straight, which caused Rissan to strike his head against the rock overhead, because it was so low.
"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his dark head, before he looked at the two golden-haired Elves and the strange creature known as Gollum. Kneeling down just enough to avoid hitting his head on the low-hanging roof of the tunnel, Rissan said seriously, "The game is over, Haldir and Prince Legolas. I can't explain everything right now, but I need you both to come with me."
To be continued
