Chapter 16
Joanila was trembling, she felt cold all over. She was chilled to the bone. She felt the heat of the fire, but it hadn't helped her. Sam was on the other side, staring into the fire. Andréa was huddled in her mother's lap.
"Mother," she whispered, looking up at Joanila. "When will father come home?" Joanila looked down at her child.
"Soon, Andréa." she hugged her close. "Soon."
***
Aragorn was careful with the elf, biting back his own pain. They had left the temple maybe an hour before and now where heading down to the river. Aragorn found it far more difficult to climb the hill with an elf in his arms and wounds to his neck. He shivered as Lightning struck overhead.
The sound of a river was in his ears as he reached the forest. He took a path with many knocked down plants and trees. Legolas was breathing faintly, muttering names like, Joanila and Andréa.
Aragorn reached the river to find many hobbits there. Several turned to look at him. Aragorn stumbled down the slope, nearly dropped Legolas. He recovered and set him down in a sandy spot. Several hobbits with flasks and bandages at their sides rushed over.
"What happened?" asked one. Aragorn was shaking his head. "A blow to the back and piercing with an arrow." one of the Hobbits pushed him away and they began to examine the elf.
"Get me some hot water!" cried one hobbit. One of them left the circle towards a dying fire. Aragorn watched intently as Hobbits began to pour liquids into his wounds. Soon, Aragorn was forced away by two hobbits. He sat on a rock nearby.
"What happened?" asked a familiar voice. Aragorn turned to see Frodo, and tears began to flood in his eyes.
***
Legolas felt very light. There was no pain, no hurting. He felt warmth all over himself. He was wearing white garments, his wounds had disappeared. He walked down a long, white hallway.
There was nothing to see, nor look at. There was just a light. He was walking towards it.
A voice entered his mind.
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood."
"Yes?" asked Legolas, rather startled. He stopped walking.
"You have proven much bravery and courage over the years. Plus you had the heart to start a family. You are now to be rewarded.
Legolas felt lighter. The light ahead of him brightened, showing the outline of a beautiful gate.
"You may enter the heavens." the gates opened. Legolas paused.
"But, what about my family?"
"What about them?"
"I don't want to leave them, not yet."
There was a laugh.
"You mean, you want to refuse the paradise where you may roam free whenever you want, with no danger and no worries?"
Legolas sighed.
"If it means leaving my family and friends, then yes. I refuse."
"You may refuse if you wish, Legolas." said the voice. "But you must fight the light." Legolas watched the gates glitter from the light beyond them.
Legolas turned away. There was a sudden, strong gust of wind pushing against him as he tried to walk away. He felt his feet sliding along the floor, the force was very strong, but he felt a touch, a touch on his hand. He looked ahead to the darkness to see Aragorn.
"Come back, Legolas!" he was crying, sobbing. He also saw a little hobbit beside him.
"Legolas!" he was crying to. Legolas felt a stab of pain in his chest. He started to run down into the darkness. The wind blew harder.
"No!" he cried. Legolas pushed himself harder against the wind. He was suddenly flying forward.
"Fine then." said the voice. "May you return someday." Legolas felt himself land somewhere. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes. There was a crash of thunder. He sat up, surrounded by little hobbits.
"Legolas!" said a voice. Legolas turned his aching head to see Aragorn beside him.
"Quick! Bandage him up!" cried a hobbit. Legolas's tunic and shirt armor was removed, he suddenly felt faint and fell back onto the sand. His head and back pounded with pain. His chest heaved as he breathed. The stinging pain that was there before had turned into a gentle numbness. The hobbits bandaged him up and covered him with a blanket.
"Aragorn," he muttered. "Let us go to Mordor." Aragorn smiled and took his friend's hand. Legolas gripped Aragorn's. It was time to return back home.
Joanila was trembling, she felt cold all over. She was chilled to the bone. She felt the heat of the fire, but it hadn't helped her. Sam was on the other side, staring into the fire. Andréa was huddled in her mother's lap.
"Mother," she whispered, looking up at Joanila. "When will father come home?" Joanila looked down at her child.
"Soon, Andréa." she hugged her close. "Soon."
***
Aragorn was careful with the elf, biting back his own pain. They had left the temple maybe an hour before and now where heading down to the river. Aragorn found it far more difficult to climb the hill with an elf in his arms and wounds to his neck. He shivered as Lightning struck overhead.
The sound of a river was in his ears as he reached the forest. He took a path with many knocked down plants and trees. Legolas was breathing faintly, muttering names like, Joanila and Andréa.
Aragorn reached the river to find many hobbits there. Several turned to look at him. Aragorn stumbled down the slope, nearly dropped Legolas. He recovered and set him down in a sandy spot. Several hobbits with flasks and bandages at their sides rushed over.
"What happened?" asked one. Aragorn was shaking his head. "A blow to the back and piercing with an arrow." one of the Hobbits pushed him away and they began to examine the elf.
"Get me some hot water!" cried one hobbit. One of them left the circle towards a dying fire. Aragorn watched intently as Hobbits began to pour liquids into his wounds. Soon, Aragorn was forced away by two hobbits. He sat on a rock nearby.
"What happened?" asked a familiar voice. Aragorn turned to see Frodo, and tears began to flood in his eyes.
***
Legolas felt very light. There was no pain, no hurting. He felt warmth all over himself. He was wearing white garments, his wounds had disappeared. He walked down a long, white hallway.
There was nothing to see, nor look at. There was just a light. He was walking towards it.
A voice entered his mind.
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood."
"Yes?" asked Legolas, rather startled. He stopped walking.
"You have proven much bravery and courage over the years. Plus you had the heart to start a family. You are now to be rewarded.
Legolas felt lighter. The light ahead of him brightened, showing the outline of a beautiful gate.
"You may enter the heavens." the gates opened. Legolas paused.
"But, what about my family?"
"What about them?"
"I don't want to leave them, not yet."
There was a laugh.
"You mean, you want to refuse the paradise where you may roam free whenever you want, with no danger and no worries?"
Legolas sighed.
"If it means leaving my family and friends, then yes. I refuse."
"You may refuse if you wish, Legolas." said the voice. "But you must fight the light." Legolas watched the gates glitter from the light beyond them.
Legolas turned away. There was a sudden, strong gust of wind pushing against him as he tried to walk away. He felt his feet sliding along the floor, the force was very strong, but he felt a touch, a touch on his hand. He looked ahead to the darkness to see Aragorn.
"Come back, Legolas!" he was crying, sobbing. He also saw a little hobbit beside him.
"Legolas!" he was crying to. Legolas felt a stab of pain in his chest. He started to run down into the darkness. The wind blew harder.
"No!" he cried. Legolas pushed himself harder against the wind. He was suddenly flying forward.
"Fine then." said the voice. "May you return someday." Legolas felt himself land somewhere. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes. There was a crash of thunder. He sat up, surrounded by little hobbits.
"Legolas!" said a voice. Legolas turned his aching head to see Aragorn beside him.
"Quick! Bandage him up!" cried a hobbit. Legolas's tunic and shirt armor was removed, he suddenly felt faint and fell back onto the sand. His head and back pounded with pain. His chest heaved as he breathed. The stinging pain that was there before had turned into a gentle numbness. The hobbits bandaged him up and covered him with a blanket.
"Aragorn," he muttered. "Let us go to Mordor." Aragorn smiled and took his friend's hand. Legolas gripped Aragorn's. It was time to return back home.