AUTHOR'S NOTE : :- Didn't think I'd leave you just there today didja!?! Bah, I can't spell. I've already admitted it. Elven Elvin everyone knows what I'm talking about the cute elf.!…Yeah, Baby…jump around in those tights! (Fans herself)
Hugs Miss. Hobbit. But for you I'll spell it Elven.
Legolas' POV
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Chapter 24 : Hope
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As we left the room, Aragorn shut the door and looked at Gimli and I. I looked away, trying hard to control my emotion as I once did. Everything was spilling about around me and I felt…exposed. I knew he was watching me…waiting for me to speak. Both of them were. I put my hands on my hips and stood there, looking off to the side. A feeling was building inside of me I hadn't dared to experience since she was taken.
"Legolas." Aragorn finally said, looking at me seriously. "What's going on?"
I took a deep breath and glanced down at Gimli who was watching me in concern. Strange…I had never felt that I would ever be friendly with a dwarf, much less tell him as much as I had about my past. "Estel." I stood where I was, my hands on my hips to keep them from trembling. "Some time ago…many years for a human, I suppose…15 to be exact…a long time ago I had been told by my father to pick a bride for the future. It was unnatural, he said to me, that I had spent so long without becoming attached, without finding the mate to my soul. It was not that he wanted heirs…but that he was concerned for me. I asked him why now, of all times, and he bade me open my eyes and look around at the ones that were available to me…rather than seek what I might never find."
It was difficult…talking about it, but it had to be said. "There were many, and my father had asked me to choose someone to get to know and he would arrange for her to spend time with me. Don't think, Aragorn, that it was like a fairy tale. The Great Elven Prince…choosing a bride out of a selection and falling head over heels. Far from that, I promise you. It was not even a duty. I did not -have- to do it. My father was simply trying to open my eyes to possibilities. He did not understand that I didn't want the first maiden to come along. Surely you must understand, Estel…how it was with you and Arwen."
I began to pace back and forth, agitated, "I wanted that…I didn't simply want to choose. It would be like picking a flower from a selection and declaring it the most beautiful of all, though like the others in time that beauty would fade and the moment would be gone. My eyes saw beauty…all the time. But…" I leant against one of the windowsills looking out over the White City. "I wanted more, I still want more. I will not settle for the first among the flowers…or the last. I…" I found myself to be rambling a little…and I never rambled. I strove for greater control.
"There was one that my father wanted me to get to know better because she was the daughter of one of his greatest friends. He never once suggested her, I know. He wanted me to pick." I smiled then as a vision of her face came to my mind. Defiant, to the last…her blue eyes were much like Frodo's in a way. They were framed by a sea of gold that was her hair. In the right light…I could almost imagine sparkles of blue and green…yet what I remembered was the set determination of her chin…how she would never take no for an answer and how she was always trying to do what she did not know how. Her spirit was indomitable…and I -had- been attracted to it. She was young for an elf…not much more than a five hundred. I had not wanted to tie her to me…not yet. For a while I thought about her…bringing her to my mind from the depths of my soul. Gimili nudged me and I realized I had stopped the tale.
"So…I did pick the one that he wanted…for no one quite had what she had in her eyes. And if I could not please myself, at least my father would be pleased. She both amused and irritated me…and my father made sure that she spent time with me. " I smiled, remembering more than one argument. "Her name was Merilas…and she did…" I swallowed…remembering Frodo's words. "She had a birthmark on her hand…it was shaped almost like a rose. I…she was lost…15 years ago…" I looked out towards the sea. "Captured by Orcs that had lurked on the edges of Greenwood…along with one of my friends and six of my comrades. She…had…" Gimli knew the whole story, but I was not going to tell Estel…not now. "I had been distracted that night…or … else I could have stopped them."
Estel smiled grimly, his lips in a thin line as he listened to my tale. "And you have been searching for her all this time?"
"When I have the chance to, yes. But every lead has turned to naught…every stone a dead-end. I haven't heard anything about her for at least seven years…until the Ringbearer spoke her name." I looked back at Frodo's room and it must have seemed like I wanted to rush in there and talk to him again for the King stepped in front of me.
He looked thoughtful. "If she was with him at Cirith Ungol…she might yet be alive…there were many souls that we rescued from the Yrch."
"There are prisoners." Gimli spoke up. "There is a camp about 5 miles out of the city where the Dain took prisoners to be sorted through from all the fortresses that we conquered."
My heart nearly froze at the idea…seeing her again. What could I say to her? I had failed…I had not been able to find her…would she hate me? I looked at Gimli, and then to Estel. "May I have leave to search the camp?" My voice was calmer than I felt. I wanted to scream…every muscle in my body was taunt and rigid. Emotion churned within me and I desperately tried to control it.
Estel must have seen it in my eyes for it surprised him considerably. "Go with Gimli, I will write a letter for you to give to the Warden."
The door opened from Frodo's room, "Estel…" Arwen's voice was clear, "He's getting worse…come…"
And from within the room we could hear cries of pain…my heart melted…they were from Frodo. He was curled up in a little ball in the bed, shivering. Arwen and Aragorn on either side of him as they tried to soothe him. He was recalling the past…his time in the darkness of Mordor. With the King's help they managed to uncurl his arms and he collapsed against the Queen.
Aragorn was making him drink something to calm the pain that he felt while Arwen soothed him with an elvish song. His face was drawn and pale, and it was only then I noticed how thin he was.
He opened his eyes to look at me and I stepped backwards from the anguish that I saw within. If Frodo had only spent a mere day in the hands of the Yrch…I looked away, tears were building in my eyes as Gimli nudged me out of the room. If he had only been there for a day…what…what could possibly have become of her…I stood there for a long moment, shaking.
Gimli grunted, "We'll find her. Lets get prepared."
* * *
Hugs Miss. Hobbit. But for you I'll spell it Elven.
Legolas' POV
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 24 : Hope
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As we left the room, Aragorn shut the door and looked at Gimli and I. I looked away, trying hard to control my emotion as I once did. Everything was spilling about around me and I felt…exposed. I knew he was watching me…waiting for me to speak. Both of them were. I put my hands on my hips and stood there, looking off to the side. A feeling was building inside of me I hadn't dared to experience since she was taken.
"Legolas." Aragorn finally said, looking at me seriously. "What's going on?"
I took a deep breath and glanced down at Gimli who was watching me in concern. Strange…I had never felt that I would ever be friendly with a dwarf, much less tell him as much as I had about my past. "Estel." I stood where I was, my hands on my hips to keep them from trembling. "Some time ago…many years for a human, I suppose…15 to be exact…a long time ago I had been told by my father to pick a bride for the future. It was unnatural, he said to me, that I had spent so long without becoming attached, without finding the mate to my soul. It was not that he wanted heirs…but that he was concerned for me. I asked him why now, of all times, and he bade me open my eyes and look around at the ones that were available to me…rather than seek what I might never find."
It was difficult…talking about it, but it had to be said. "There were many, and my father had asked me to choose someone to get to know and he would arrange for her to spend time with me. Don't think, Aragorn, that it was like a fairy tale. The Great Elven Prince…choosing a bride out of a selection and falling head over heels. Far from that, I promise you. It was not even a duty. I did not -have- to do it. My father was simply trying to open my eyes to possibilities. He did not understand that I didn't want the first maiden to come along. Surely you must understand, Estel…how it was with you and Arwen."
I began to pace back and forth, agitated, "I wanted that…I didn't simply want to choose. It would be like picking a flower from a selection and declaring it the most beautiful of all, though like the others in time that beauty would fade and the moment would be gone. My eyes saw beauty…all the time. But…" I leant against one of the windowsills looking out over the White City. "I wanted more, I still want more. I will not settle for the first among the flowers…or the last. I…" I found myself to be rambling a little…and I never rambled. I strove for greater control.
"There was one that my father wanted me to get to know better because she was the daughter of one of his greatest friends. He never once suggested her, I know. He wanted me to pick." I smiled then as a vision of her face came to my mind. Defiant, to the last…her blue eyes were much like Frodo's in a way. They were framed by a sea of gold that was her hair. In the right light…I could almost imagine sparkles of blue and green…yet what I remembered was the set determination of her chin…how she would never take no for an answer and how she was always trying to do what she did not know how. Her spirit was indomitable…and I -had- been attracted to it. She was young for an elf…not much more than a five hundred. I had not wanted to tie her to me…not yet. For a while I thought about her…bringing her to my mind from the depths of my soul. Gimili nudged me and I realized I had stopped the tale.
"So…I did pick the one that he wanted…for no one quite had what she had in her eyes. And if I could not please myself, at least my father would be pleased. She both amused and irritated me…and my father made sure that she spent time with me. " I smiled, remembering more than one argument. "Her name was Merilas…and she did…" I swallowed…remembering Frodo's words. "She had a birthmark on her hand…it was shaped almost like a rose. I…she was lost…15 years ago…" I looked out towards the sea. "Captured by Orcs that had lurked on the edges of Greenwood…along with one of my friends and six of my comrades. She…had…" Gimli knew the whole story, but I was not going to tell Estel…not now. "I had been distracted that night…or … else I could have stopped them."
Estel smiled grimly, his lips in a thin line as he listened to my tale. "And you have been searching for her all this time?"
"When I have the chance to, yes. But every lead has turned to naught…every stone a dead-end. I haven't heard anything about her for at least seven years…until the Ringbearer spoke her name." I looked back at Frodo's room and it must have seemed like I wanted to rush in there and talk to him again for the King stepped in front of me.
He looked thoughtful. "If she was with him at Cirith Ungol…she might yet be alive…there were many souls that we rescued from the Yrch."
"There are prisoners." Gimli spoke up. "There is a camp about 5 miles out of the city where the Dain took prisoners to be sorted through from all the fortresses that we conquered."
My heart nearly froze at the idea…seeing her again. What could I say to her? I had failed…I had not been able to find her…would she hate me? I looked at Gimli, and then to Estel. "May I have leave to search the camp?" My voice was calmer than I felt. I wanted to scream…every muscle in my body was taunt and rigid. Emotion churned within me and I desperately tried to control it.
Estel must have seen it in my eyes for it surprised him considerably. "Go with Gimli, I will write a letter for you to give to the Warden."
The door opened from Frodo's room, "Estel…" Arwen's voice was clear, "He's getting worse…come…"
And from within the room we could hear cries of pain…my heart melted…they were from Frodo. He was curled up in a little ball in the bed, shivering. Arwen and Aragorn on either side of him as they tried to soothe him. He was recalling the past…his time in the darkness of Mordor. With the King's help they managed to uncurl his arms and he collapsed against the Queen.
Aragorn was making him drink something to calm the pain that he felt while Arwen soothed him with an elvish song. His face was drawn and pale, and it was only then I noticed how thin he was.
He opened his eyes to look at me and I stepped backwards from the anguish that I saw within. If Frodo had only spent a mere day in the hands of the Yrch…I looked away, tears were building in my eyes as Gimli nudged me out of the room. If he had only been there for a day…what…what could possibly have become of her…I stood there for a long moment, shaking.
Gimli grunted, "We'll find her. Lets get prepared."
* * *