Chapter 22 The doom of the Water
"No," Legolas whispered. He then fell to his knees weeping bitterly. He knew no worse fate could've become him. He felt empty and alone.
Aragon came up behind him, tears coming from his cheeks and said to Legolas,
"I'm so sorry Legolas."
Legolas just sat there kneeling staring into the water. They all felt so terrible in losing their close friends, but most for Legolas. He had lost his best friend and the love of his life in less then ten minutes. Then they realized that they lost everything with the loss of the stone upon Sari's neck.
"It was all in vain then." Ednocon said with tears burning his eyes
"What?" said Legolas who was still staring into the water.
"I said…"
"Elbereth" Legolas said softly.
All the eyes looked into the water, the area 10 feet out was stained with blood. Legolas hopped up and began to wade in. once about Five feet out two shapes emerged from the water. Legolas ran scooped up the first one and kissed it the second he embraced it very strongly. He then half dragged half carried them to shore.
Aragon was so stunned to see what he brought he couldn't move. It was Sari and Gimli. Sari had one thing clutched tightly in each hand, one her Elven sword, the other the stone. She opened her eyes and looked up.
"Legolas I thought I was going to die. I was so scared." She sat herself up a little bit and embraced him and didn't let go.
"Not as much as I, I thought I was going to lose you, and Gimli. That would have been the death of me."
" Samwise Gamgee, if you weren't my friend I would kill you. Oh hullo Legolas got a little scare there didn't you, as did I. Luckily we were swallowed whole otherwise you'd have only half a best friend."
"Don't even joke of such things, Gimli." Gandalf said looking wholly relieved. "I believe that we should camp here for the night then carry the boats down river a little bit and then launch."
"Sari, I thought I lost you. Thank goodness you have returned," Aragon said to Sari who did not appear to have ant intention of leaving Legolas' arms. All she did was look at Aragon and smile.
"I hate this river." Sam said looking at the pool of blood the river became. The company went about two hundred feet inland then made camp.
"I have no desire in sleeping near that thing." Ednocon pointed out.
They did not set up any sleeping areas because the sleeping materials were soaked. So they started a fire and everyone sat down around it. Gandalf sat closest to the river with his back to it. To the right of him next was Frodo, Sam, and Ednocon. Then came Gimli, Legolas, Sari, and then Aragon. Sari had not left the embrace of Legolas, not even for a moment. Night had fallen before anything was spoken.
"Now do you see what could have happened today, Legolas and Sari? Do you see Legolas, if she didn't come out of the water today what could have happened? You would have died from grief. And you Sari if you had switched positions now who would die of grief."
"Gandalf, please don't, I know you are right. You are forgetting something though. Gimli was in the water also. Now if he didn't come out, I wouldn't die of grief because I would have reason to live. She would be pretty much all I have but alone she would have kept me alive. Another thing, if I had not the love in my heart she probably would not of made it alive out of Nublar. Now Gandalf what do you say to that?"
Gandalf looked at him for a moment, then to Sari, then into the fire.
"You are correct. I am sorry. I will not speak of it again."
The company fell silent again. And no one spoke for a long while. Though some of them had lain down no one truly slept that night.